UC-NRLF 


SB    277 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


TALES  OF  THE  TORF-M II 


WET  SUNDAYS 


BY 

W.  H.  GOCHER 


Between  the  heats  men  talk  and  read 

Of  action,  pedigrees  and  speed; 

While  form  and  color,  style  and  weight, 

Cut  in  with  courage,  mouth  and  gait. 

These  when  combined  in  one,  endorse 

The  composite — a  racing  horse. 

To  run  or  pace  select  the  daisy  cutting  glide, 

To  trot  seek  ample  fold  and  the  four-cornered  stride. 

To  win  hold  hard,  my  friend,  you're  hunting  touts  and  mirth, 

Walk-overs  are  the  only  certainties  on  earth. 


PUBLISHED    BY 

W.  H.  GOCHER,  HARTFORD,  CONN. 
1903 


Copyright  1903, 

by 
WILLIAM    HENRY   GOCHER. 


PRESS   OF 

WlNN    &    JUDSON, 
CLEVELAND,  O. 


SF337 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Champ Frontispiece 

Nelly  Gray 26-26 

John  E.  Turner 43-44 

Oiney  Dashed  Away 81-82 

Guy,  2:093^ 113-114 

Alden  Goldsmith 133-134 

James  H.  Goldsmith 191-192 

John  Alden  Goldsmith 237-238 

Lou  Dillon 297-298 

Old  Bill 305-306 

Dexter 359-360 

The  Moonlight  Drive 373-374 

Tom 391-392 

The  Little  Brown  House  Under  the  Hill   .  .  397-398 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Beginning,  The 7 

Bill  Hood 98 

Champ 354 

Charlie  Sing 84 

Confession,  The  .  i 401 

End,  The 403 

Fickle  Gamey 383 

General,  The 32 

Getting  Even 350 

Goldsmiths,  The 116 

Alden  Goldsmith 116 

Dutchman 120 

Volunteer      129 

Goldsmith  Maid      132 

Developing  the  Volunteers 138 

Huntress  and  Bodine 140 

Three  Mile  Record 142 

James  Goldsmith's  First  Race 144 

Gloster 145 

1874     ......'• 151 

James  H.  Goldsmith's  First  Campaign 152 

1875 154 

1876— Bateman 158 

1877— Powers 162 

1878— Driver 166 

1879— Alley 171 

James  Goldsmith  Expelled 173 

John  A.  Goldsmith  in  the  Sulky 175 

1880— Unolala      177 

1881— Two  Mile  Heats 180 

Volunteer  above  Price 183 

1882— Flora  Belle 187 

1883 190 

Driver's  Career 194 

1884— Walnut      196 

1885 198 

Death  of  Alden  Goldsmith 200 

1886— Domestic   .                                                                        .  203 


INDEX.  5 

Goldsmiths,  The — Continued.  PAGE 

1887— Walnut  Grove  Farm  Sale 204 

Volunteer  Tribe 208 

1888— Company 212 

1889— Star  Lily 217 

1890— Pamlico 223 

1891— Mambrino  Maid      ' .    . ' 228 

Death  of  James  H.  Goldsmith 231 

1881— John  Goldsmith  Goes  West     .    .            234 

1882— Sweetness 235 

1883— Director 239 

Electioneer— Guy  Wilkes    ...               243 

George  Wilkes 245 

Dolly  Spanker 256 

George  Wilkes  Tribe 257 

1884— Guy  Wilkes 263 

1885— Anteeo 265 

1886— Shamrock 266 

1887— Sable  Wilkes .  269 

1888— Yolo  Maid 270 

1889— Lillian  Wilkes 272 

Victor 274 

1890— Freedom 275 

1891— Vida  Wilkes 278 

1892— John  A.  Goldsmith  Comes  Bast 280 

1893— Oro  Wilkes 283 

1894— Mary  Best— Alar 288 

Death  of  John  A.  Goldsmith 292 

Johnny's  Colt 345 

Luke  Lightwood  Legacy,  The 321 

Jewed 328 

Flushed     ....               338 

Note,  A 6 

Oiney  O'Shea 58 

Old  Bill .    .  300 

Old  Favorite,  The 114 

Queen,  The 297 

Tom 338 

Tout,  The 346 

Yankee  Trade,  A .315 


A   NOTE. 


The  title  of  this  book  requires  an  explanation.  Since  I  have  been 
able  to  own  a  horsey  a  matter  of  about  twelve  years,  I  have  made  it  a 
practice  to  go  for  a  long  drive  on  Sunday  afternoons,  as  it  is  the  only 
time  a  wage  earner,  which  I  have  been  since  a  boy,  can  call  his  own. 
In  Cleveland  my  outings  were  taken  behind  a  little  brown  mare  named 
Juda,  whose  memory  will  always  be  green  in  the  family;  Tirzah,  by 
Dictator,  and  The  Hawk,  a  harum  scarum  gelding  that  was  all  his 
name  implied.  After  coming  to  Hartford,  in  1896,  I  purchased  the 
bay  mare  Bessie  Wilkes,  2:33,  by  Wilkie  Collins,  and  in  the  past  seven 
years  I  have  driven  her  over  twenty-five  thousand  miles,  an  average 
of  about  ten  miles  a  day,  over  the  roads  of  Connecticut.  In  that  time 
I  also  had  many  a  drive  behind  her  stable  companions,  the  airy  gaited 
pacer,  Touch  Me  Not,  2:13^,  by  Pocahontas  Sam,  and  gallant  old 
Guy,  2:0924  ,  the  war  horse  of  the  Mambrino  family  of  trotters. 

Those  who  study  the  weather  will  remember  the  batch  of  wet 
Sundays  which  were  placed  on  record  during  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1902.  They  cut  off  my  drives  and  while  Bessie  Wilkes  and  Guy 
stood  in  their  box  stalls  munching  hay  and  stamping  at  flies,  I  wrote 
and  revised  the  most  of  the  material  in  this  book.  It  was,  in  a 
measure,  a  holiday  jaunt  wheeling  about  among  memories  long  since 
relegated  to  the  garret.  While  recalling  the  old  days,  the  dripping 
eaves  and  muddy  roads  were  forgotten  and  as 

"  Into  each  life  some  rain  must  fall, 
Some  days  must  be  dark  and    dreary," 

I  present  them  in  the  hope  that  under  similar  conditions  those  who 
love  a  good  horse  and  enjoy  driving  or  riding  on  the  road  or  on  the 
turf  may  find  in  them  at  least  a  flicker  in  the  window  of  cheerfulness 
when  the  rain  is  falling  and  the  clouds  hang  low. 

W.   H.  GOCHER. 
HARTFORD,  CONN., 

NOVEMBER  i,   1903. 


THE   BEGINNING. 


'Twas  on  the  famous  trotting  ground, 

The  betting  men  were  gathered  round 

From  far  and  near;  the  "cracks"  were  there 

Whose  deeds  the  sporting  prints  declare. 

There,  too,  stood  many  a  noted  steed 

Of  Messenger  and  Morgan  breed! 

Green  horses  also,  not  a  few, 

Unknown  as  yet  what  they  could  do.— Holmes. 

It  had  been  a  severe  day.  Colonel  Edwards  had 
kept  the  ponies  going  from  one  o'clock  until  seven  and 
when  the  last  heat  was  decided  there  was  scarcely 
enough  light  left  to  distinguish  the  horses  as  they 
passed  under  the  wire.  All  of  the  races  were  badly 
snarled.  Betting  ring  and  bad  actors,  did  you  say? 
Well  a  little  of  both  possibly,  although  it  is  not  well  to 
admit  too  much  in  these  days  of  adverse  legislation 
and  investigation  committees.  For  the  present  pur- 
pose it  is  enough  to  say  it  was  a  hard  day  for  the  scrib- 
blers who  are  expected  to  get  their  stories  on  the  wire 
or  on  the  city  editor's  desk  before  nine  o'clock  and 
write  them  on  an  empty  stomach. 

On  this  day  in  particular  there  was  very  little 
victuals  to  be  had.  Being  forced  to  skip  lunch  on  ac- 
count of  the  hour  at  which  the  first  race  was  called, 
the  only  refreshment  which  came  my  way  was  a 
chicken  sandwich  and  a  meat  pie  and  by  that  I  know 
it  was  Thursday,  the  big  day,  as  for  twenty-three 
years  Miss  Walton  had  on  each  Thursday  of  race 
week  sent  the  Cleveland  judges  a  basket  of  meat  pies. 


8  THE    BEGINNING. 

If  you  were  in  favor  with  the  Colonel  you  were  given 
one — two,  did  you  say — no  never,  that  was  not  on 
record  except  the  year  that  Jim  Oglesby  brought  a 
great  unknown  from  the  far  west  as  a  driver.  He 
slipped  into  the^  stand  while  the  Judges  were  discuss- 
ing the  advisability  of  postponing  on  account  of  a 
slippery  track  and  before  he  was  noticed  filled  a  Mis- 
souri vacuum,  commonly  called  a  stomach,  with  a 
bunch  of  the  revered  meat  pies  from  the  slate-colored 
mansion  at  the  lower  end  of  Gordon  Park. 

The  races  went  on,  but  the  Colonel  stormed  ter- 
ribly and  Oglesby's  driver — Oh,  that  I  could  but  place 
his  name  on  record,  as  he  is  an  only  of  the  onlies  and 
his  record  will  never  be  beaten,  as  the  old  mother 
earth  has  like  a  great  morass  swallowed  about  all  of 
those  who  figured  as  leaders  in  the  amusement  world 
of  Northern  Ohio  at  the  period  covered  by  this  story. 
Their  obituaries  have  been  written  and  so  it  will  go  on 
while  the  old  world  wags.  Some  one  possibly  still  un- 
born will  rattle  off  a  line  or  two  about  you  and  me,  only 
to  be  forgotten  like  a  puff  of  dust  on  the  road.  Others 
will  yell  themselves  hoarse  possibly  from  the  seats 
which  we  once  occupied  in  the  grand  stand  or  discuss 
the  chances  of  the  field  and  favorite  in  the  betting  ring. 
Like  the  line  in  Tennyson's  Brook  "Men  may  come 
and  men  may  go"  but  the  ponies  go  on  forever. 

A  broiled  black  bass  with  French  fried  potatoes 
and  a  cup  of  hot  coffee  in  one  of  the  stalls  at  the  Oys- 
ter Ocean  on  Bank  Street  soon  made  the  dust  and 
confusion  of  the  race  track  seem  like  a  memory  and  as 
I  rang  for  a  cigar — I  smoked  in  those  days — the  com- 
motion of  a  party  in  the  next  stall  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. With  my  heels  on  the  table  and  a  chair  tilted 


THK   WINNERS.  9 

against  the  wall,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  hear  what  was 
being  said,  as  from  the  way  they  were  ordering  wine  I 
knew  that  they  had  been  winners  and  might  possibly 
give  a  reporter  a  hint  or  two  as  to  how  such  fruit  is 
gathered  in  the  harvest  field  over  which  Fjank  Herdic 
and  William  Riley  presided  as  separators — that  is, 
separating  one  body  of  wise  men  from  their  money 
and  giving  it  to  another,  less  the  commission. 

As  near  as  could  be  made  out,  some  one  in  the  party 
was  urging  one  of  his  associates  to  tell  them  how  he 
ever  drifted  into  racing  and  he  refused  point  blank  to 
make  a  confession  unless  he  was  given  permission  to 
tell  the  tale  from  the  beginning,  "from  the  knicker- 
bockers up,"  as  he  expressed  it  between  a  "here  is 
looking  at  you"  or  "death  to  the  crows."  A  husky 
voice  suggested  that  he  cut  in  at  the  long  breeches, 
but  it  was  always  No !  No !  As  I  listened  I  began 
thinking  of  the  beginning  of  things  from  my  own 
standpoint.  Did  you  ever  pick  up  the  trail  of  your 
life  step  by  step  and  try  to  discover  the  first  shred  of 
memory  dangling  among  the  cobwebs  of  the  dead 
past  and  from  that  shadow  trace  the  part  which  the 
fairy  finger  of  fate  has  played  in  moulding  your 
career?  In  many  particulars  the  lives  of  nine  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  out  of  every  thousand  are  shaped  by 
circumstances  which  existed  before  they  were 
born,  and  for  the  odd  one  who  rises  above  them 
the  world  has  reserved  turmoil  and  trouble,  fame  and 
possibly  fortune  blasted  with  the  sleepless  spirit  of 
ambition,  which  like  the  Dead  Sea  fruit  looks  fair 
when  afar  but  "melts  to  ashes  at  the  touch."  This  is 
the  beginning  and  the  going  on  of  man,  said  I,  as  I 
listened  to  the  rattle  of  the  glasses  in  the  next  stall  and 


10  THE   BEGINNING. 

watched  the  smoke  of  my  cigar  melt  into  thin  air  as  it 
floated  towards  the  gas  jets  over  the  table.  After  two 
more  small  bottles  and  a  lot  of  talk  which  is  not  ma- 
terial to  the  story  every  one  in  the  next  stall  consented 
to  hear  th£  tale  of  the  party  importuned  from  the 
"knickers  up"  and  this  is  what  I  now  recall. 

"I  was  born  in  an  inland  village  that  never  heard 
the  whistle  of  a  steamboat  or  a  locomotive  or  had  a 
race  horse  of  any  description  within  its  limits.  The 
mail  and  travellers  came  in  on  a  stage  and  ninety  per 
cent  of  the  people  born  there  were  never  ten  miles 
away  from  home  during  their  lives.  How  my  parents 
happened  to  locate  there  is  more  than  I  know,  but  be- 
fore I  was  old  enough  to  learn  the  ways  of  the  world 
they  packed  all  they  owned  on  a  couple  of  wagons  and 
pointed  the  horses  for  a  town  nearer  the  edge  of  civil- 
ization and  industry.  I  wrill  call  the  stopping  place 

Z ,  which  will  do  as  well  as  any  other  name,  as  I 

can  see  that  all  of  you  are  rusty  on  geography.  Z— 
was  on  a  wood  burning  line  of  railroad,  while  the 
small  stream  that  turned  the  grist  and  saw  mills  also 
carried  an  occasional  steamboat  whose  whistle 
brought  half  of  the  population  down  to  see  the  freight 
rolled  on  or  off  the  wharf." 

"Fizzle,"  came  the  voice  of  the  husky  man  who  had 
held  out  for  the  "pants  up"  story.  "Fizzle,  I  say. 
Cut  it,  my  lad.  Steamboats !  have  plenty  of  them  on 
the  Cuyahoga.  It's  ponies  we  want,  ponies!  ponies! 
understand." 

"Probably  you  had  better  tell  it  yourself,"  rejoined 
the  reconteur,  but  as  it  was  followed  by  a  dozen  "go 
ons"  his  huskiness  was  down  and  out  after  the  ex- 
change of  compliments  and  a  general  lighting  up,  for 
another  spell  of  listening. 


THE    FIKST   HORSE.  11 

"What  memory  I  have  left  runs  back  to  Z . 

What  I  know  of  prior  to  that  was  told  me  later  in  life 
and  the  first  stop  is  punctuated  with  a  horse." 

"I  knew  it,  I  knew  it,"  growled  the  husky  one  while 
the  balance  silenced  him  with  a  genial  'dry  up,'  a 
term  a  trifle  out  of  place  in  that  party,  thinks  I.  With- 
out noticing  the  interruption,  the  siory  teller  pro- 
ceeded. 

"At  the  time  I  was  between  two  and  three  years  of 
age.  The  horse  was  a  little  brown  mare  that  my 
father  drove  in  his  business,  and  while  she  did  not 
have  any  speed,  she  was  all  that  could  be  asked  for. 
When  I  shut  my  eyes  I  can  see  her  now,  smooth  made 
with  a  short  neck,  heavy  mane,  pointed  ears  and  a 
playful  toss  of  the  head  when  you  spoke  to  her.  That 
old  mare  and  I  were  friends,  boys,  and  when  they  laid 
her  away  under  the  sod,  as  the  governor  said  no  dog 
should  ever  pick  her  bones,  I  cried  like  a  baby.  For 
our  business  she  would  not  be  worth  thirty  cents  ex- 
cept to  pull  the  traps  from  the  track  to  the  cars,  but 
with  all  your  worldly  ways  and  wise  looks  I  reckon 
each  of  you  had  a  first  horse  if  you  only  take  a  little 
time  to  think  of  it. 

"The  next  horses  that  I  recall  appeared  on  a  placard 
advertising  a  condition  powder  or  something  of  that 
sort.  It  was  nailed  to  a  post  in  the  village  grocery 
and  as  I  with  the  other  boys  dodged  in  and  out  to  ex- 
change pennies  for  candies  and  marbles,  I  in  time 
learned  that  the  names  of  three  of  them — there  were 
five  in  the  group — were  Flora  Temple,  the  switch 
tailed  queen  of  the  trotters,  Dexter,  the  white  legged 
champion,  and  the  old  war  horse,  General  Butler. 


12  THE    BEGINNING. 

"General  who,"  broke  in  a  voice  with  an  unmistal 
able  Southern  drawl.  "Did  Ben  ever  have  a  trottt 
named  after  him?" 

"Did  he,"  said  husky  voice,  "well  I  should  remarl 
Never  heard  of  'the  contraband'  that  was  mixed  u 
in  the  murder  in  Chicago?" 

"Never,"  said  the  Southern  voice.  "Reckon  \\ 
had  all  of  Ben  Butler  at  New  Orleans  that  we  coul 
tolerate  without  naming  race  horses  after  him,  or  rea( 
ing  about  any  that  were." 

This  remark  made  the  occupants  of  the  stall  roa 
and  when  it  subsided,  husky  voice  suggested  that  c 
the  story  teller  of  the  party  had  not  as  yet  graduate 
from  his  "knickers"  he  might  air  his  knowledge  of  tli 
old  time  trotters  before  turning  out  any  more  jun 
from  his  reminiscence  factory.  This  appeared  to  t 
agreeable  to  all,  as  in  a  minute  or  two  the  following  i 
reference  to  General  Butler  came  to  me  through  th 
partition : 

"General  Butler  was  a  ragged  looking  black  gelc 
ing  that  was  foaled  over  on  Long  Island  in  1853  an 
began  trotting  about  the  time  that  the  war  broke  ou 
As  his  front  legs  looked  a  trifle  shaky  very  little  wa 
done  with  him  until  he  had  arrived  at  what  was  the 
called  maturity,  seven  or  eight  years  old,  but  when  h 
did  get  under  way  the  General  made  a  reputation  i 
short  order  and  was  from  the  start  among  the  fin 
flight  of  trotters.  The  frisky  Widow  Machre 
trimmed  him  in  his  first  race,  but  as  the  General  di 
not  have  a  name  then  the  loss  did  not  count.  His  fin 
up  and  up  race  as  General  Butler  was,  I  think,  in  186 
against  Lady  Suffolk.  Hiram  Woodruff  drove  hii 
and  won.  The  following  year,  when  Butler  an 


GENERAL   BUTLER.  13 

Farragut  were  making  it  interesting  for  our  friends  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  the  black  gelding 
caught  the  eye  of  Harry  Genet,  who  was  so  well 
pleased  with  him  after  he  made  General  McClellan 
trot  a  fourth  heat  in  2  \$2l/>  to  wagon,  that  he  paid  the 
owner's  price  and  placed  his  new  star  in  charge  of  Dan 
Mace. 

"The  General's  first  start  for  Genet  was  in  a  purse 
race  to  wagon  against  Panic,  who  was  considered  in- 
vincible. The  betting  was  20  to  I  on  Panic  and  all 
you  wanted  of  it.  Genet  and  the  balance  of  the  Tweed 
ring  who  were  in  touch  with  his  secret  took 
enough  of  the  General  Butler  end  to  make  it  interest- 
ing and  then  pulled  off  the  race  in  straight  order,  the 
first  half  of  the  second  heat  being  trotted  in  1:11. 
That  clip  was  what  could  be  termed  tapping  at  the 
championship  door  in  those  days  and  in  a  short  time 
Genet  found  a  few  wigs  on  the  green. 

"At  this  time  the  brown  stallion  Robert  Fillingham 
stood  without  a  competitor  in  the  public  estimation. 
Flora  Temple  was  no  longer  on  the  Island,  George  M. 
Patchen  was  in  the  stud  and  Ethan  Allen  was  not  fast 
enough  to  exercise  Eph.  Simmons's  son  of  Hamble- 
tonian  and  Dolly  Spanker,  who  at  a  later  date  estab- 
lished a  world  wide  reputation  as  a  stock  horse  under 
the  name  of  George  Wilkes.  In  order  to  keep  the  ball 
a  rolling  Harry  Genet  offered  to  match  General  Butler 
against  Robert  Fillingham,  his  horse  to  go  to  saddle 
and  the  stallion  to  harness.  Eph.  Simmons  made  the 
match  and  the  pair  went  in  what  was  called  the  best 
trotting  race  ever  seen  on  Long  Island,  General  Butler 
winning  in  2\2il/2,  2:23,  2:27,  after  Robert  Fillingham 
gathered  in  the  second  heat  in  2:24^. 


14  THE   BEGINNING. 

"The  day  before  the  race  was  trotted  Harry  Genet 
met  the  owner  of  the  gray  gelding  Rockingham,  and 
before  they  parted  they  agreed  upon  three  $1,000 
matches,  the  first  to  wagon,  the  second  to  harness  and 
the  third  to  saddle.  Rockingham  was  a  Massachusetts 
product,  and  I  mention  him  here  as  these  matches  had 
considerable  to  do  with  putting  Budd  Doble  on  his 
feet  as  a  trainer  of  record-breaking  trotters.  Rock- 
ingham passed  from  Massachusetts,  where  he  was 
known  as  the  "Granger  colt,"  to  Philadelphia  and  be- 
came one  of  W.  H.  Doble's  pupils.  He  was  a  winner 
for  him  to  harness  and  Budd,  who  was  then  twenty 
years  of  age,  gave  the  lofty  going  gray  all  of  his  saddle 
work.  When  General  Butler  and  Rockingham  met 
in  their  race  to  wagon  the  black  gelding  was  the  favor- 
ite, but  his  backers'  patience  was  tried,  as  two  firsts 
were  entered  on  the  book  for  the  gray  before  Butler 
settled  down  to  business  and  won.  He  had  plenty  of 
speed,  as  in  the  third  heat  he  trotted  a  half  in  1 113,  but 
was  unsteady.  Sam  McLaughlin  was  employed  to 
drive  Rockingham  in  the  race  to  harness.  It  proved 
a  very  unsatisfactory  affair.  Rockingham  won  the 
first  and  third  heats  and  Butler  the  second  and  fourth. 
The  Judges  then  decided  to  carry  the  race  over  to  the 
following  day,  when  Rockingham  pulled  it  off  in 
2:25^4,  his  harness  record.  In  the  saddle  race  Budd 
Doble  had  the  mount  on  the  gray  and  gave  him  his 
record  of  2:22*4  in  the  second  heat.  Dan  Mace 
showed  him  the  way  to  the  wire  on  the  next  trip  in 
2:24^2.  It  was  then  supposed  that  Butler  would  go 
on  and  win,  as  he  was  known  to  be  a  laster,  but  Budd 
had  a  little  more  speed  under  him  than  was  looked  for, 
as  he  came  back  with  Rockingham  in  2:23^  and 


ROCKINGHAM.  15 

placed  the  odd  event  to  the  credit  of  the  Philadelphia 
party.  Budd  Doble's  riding  in  this  race  attracted  the 
attention  of  Hiram  Woodruff,  and  later  on  when  Faw- 
cett  and  Trusell  purchased  Dexter  he  recommended 
him  as  the  trainer  for  the  horse,  which  was  the  pride 
of  his  last  days  and  the  fastest  trotter  he  ever  drew  a 
line  over. 

"You  all  know  the  balance,  and  as  Budd  Doble  is 
now  nicely  started  on  the  way  to  fame,  I  will  skip  four 
years  and  appear  with  General  Butler  at  Chicago. 
This  was  in  1866,  the  year  that  Dexter  and  George  M. 
Patchen,  Jr.,  were  hippodromed  from  Long  Island  to 
Milwaukee  and  back  to  Philadelphia.  General  Butler 
was  at  the  time  under  the  management  of  William 
McKeever,  a  New  Yorker  who  had  been  brought  up 
in  the  butcher  business,  but  who  became  enamored 
with  the  gay  going  trotters  and  in  due  season  ex- 
changed the  apron  and  cleaver  for  a  driving  cap  and 
whip.  When  Dexter  and  George  M.  Patchen,  Jr., 
were  shipped  west  he  went  along  with  General  Butler, 
starting  him  at  Syracuse,  Buffalo  and  Cleveland,  at  all 
of  which  places  he  was  defeated  by  Dexter,  the  race  at 
Buffalo  being  a  memorable  one,  as  on  that  occasion 
"white  legs,"  as  Dexter  was  called  by  his  admirers, 
trotted  three  miles  in  2:21^,  2:26,  2:18,  the  last  heat 
being  a  quarter  of  a  second  faster  than  his  mile  to 
saddle  against  time  at  the  Fashion  Course  the  preced- 
ing October,  and  a  second  faster  than  his  second  heat 
in  the  race  on  the  same  course  in  July,  when  he  de- 
feated General  Butler  and  Toronto  Chief. 

"When  Doble,  Eoff  and  McKeever  arrived  at  Chi- 
cago in  September  they  found  that  two  races  had  been 
arranged  for  Dexter,  the  first  being  with  George  M. 


16  THE   BEGINNING. 

Patchen,  Jr.,  and  the  second  with  General  Butler, 
The  race  with  Patchen  was  the  first  called,  and  as  the 
California  stallion  was  beaten  easily  in  2  130^  on  the 
first  trip  the  spectators  expressed  their  indignation  in 
very  plain  terms.  In  order  to  smooth  out  matters 
Doble  went  on  regardless  of  his  traveling  companion 
and  trotted  two  heats  in  2:24^/2,  2:28.  Three  days 
later  Dexter  was  brought  out  again  to  meet  General 
Butler  over  the  cinder  track  of  the  Chicago  Driving 
Park  and  lost  his  only  race  that  season.  The  first 
heat  was  trotted  in  2:33^.  Dexter  won  it.  Butler 
then  won  two  heats  in  2  127,  2  126^,  after  which  Dexter 
was  drawn. 

"Two  weeks  to  a  day  "after  this  race,  or  to  be  more 
accurate,  as  this  is  a  momentous  event  in  the  annals 
of  harness  racing,  September  22,  1866,  General  Butler 
and  Cooley  met  in  a  $5,000  match  race  at  the  Driving 
Park.  Before  the  race  the  Western  horse  was  a  pro- 
hibitive favorite,  five  to  one  being  laid  on  him  so  long 
as  the  Eastern  people  would  take  the  Butler  end  of  it. 
Rain  had  put  the  track  in  bad  condition,  but  as  Cooley 
was  known  to  be  at  home  on  any  kind  of  footing,  that 
but  added  to  the  confidence  of  the  favorite's  admirers, 
and  it  looked  as  though  the  Chicago  people  considered 
him  the  only  horse  in  the  race. 

"William  Riley  drove  Cooley,  while  Sam  Crooks 
had  the  mount  behind  General  Butler.  In  the  first 
heat  both  horses  were  up  and  down  all  the  way,  the 
lead  alternating  according  to  the  breaks.  From  the 
distance  to  the  wire  it  was  nip  and  tuck,  Cooley  win- 
ning by  a  neck  in  2:38^.  Both  of  the  horses  were 
very  unsteady  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  second  heat, 
but  when  Cooley  settled  he  went  on  about  his  business 


GENERAL   BUTTER   AND   COOLEY.  17 

and  won  by  a  dozen  lengths  in  2:37^.  The  backers 
of  General  Butler  now  began  to  talk  a  little  and  said 
that  'the  contraband'  was  not  properly  driven.  In  the 
hope  of  saving  the  day  William  McKeever  took  the 
mount.  Getting  away  in  front  he  took  the  pole  and 
won  the  third  heat  in  2  132  by  twenty  lengths,  his  horse 
never  leaving  his  feet  in  the  mile.  This  showing  cre- 
ated considerable  excitement.  It  was  almost  dark  be- 
fore the  horses  were  given  the  word  for  the  fourth 
mile.  Both  of  them  were  unsteady  and  when 
near  the  wire  it  looked  as  though  Butler  fouled  his 
competitor,  but  the  judges  placed  them  as  they  fin- 
ished, Butler  first  by  half  a  length  and  the  time  2  133^. 
"The  deciding  heat  was  trotted  by  moonlight.  As 
the  pair  vanished. in  the  darkness  Butler  was  a  length 
in  front.  As  it  was  impossible  to  follow  them  around 
the  track  the  crowd  waited  for  the  pair  to  appear  on 
the  stretch.  At  length  a  shout  was  raised  and  Cooley 
€ame  under  the  wire.  Close  behind  came  General 
Butler  galloping  with  an  empty  sulky.  He  disap- 
peared in  the  darkness  and  made  two  more  circuits  of 
the  track  before  he  was  caught  and  led  to  the  stables. 
The  crowd  gathered  around  the  judges'  stand,  some 
clamoring  for  a  decision  and  others  wondering  what 
had  become  of  McKeever.  In  a  short  time  the  judges 
announced  that  McKeever  was  on  the  back  stretch 
and  supposed  to  be  dead.  Riley,  the  driver  of  Cooley, 
told  the  judges  that  McKeever  had  run  into  the  fence, 
upset  his  sulky  and  that  he  had  to  stop  Cooley  to 
avoid  running  over  him.  Later  on  the  body  of  Wil- 
liam McKeever  was  found  lying  on  the  track  about 
twenty  rods  from  the  half  mile  pole.  He  was  carried 
to  the  residence  of  a  physician,  where  it  was  found 


18  THE   BEGINNING. 

that  his  skull  was  fractured,  and  as  he  died  without  be- 
coming conscious  it  was  impossible  to  gather  the  de- 
tails in  connection  with  the  only  tragedy  of  this  char- 
acter ever  seen  on  a  trotting  track.  The  mystery  was 
partly  solved  by  finding  a  board  some  ten  feet  long, 
six  inches  wide'  at  one  end  and  something  wider  at  the 
other,  which  was  lying  near  the  spot.  One  end  of  it 
was  covered  with  blood  and  a  piece  shivered  from  the 
end. 

"It  has  always  been  believed  that  some  person  or 
persons,  whose  identity  was  never  discovered,  pulled 
the  board  from  the  track  fence  and  standing  on  or  in- 
side the  rail  held  it  so  that  the  horse  or  driver  would 
run  against  it.  The  blow,  probably  intended  for  the 
horse,  was  sustained  by  the  driver  with  the  fatal  result 
as  stated.  Several  parties,  including  Riley,  the  driver 
of  Cooley,  were  arrested,  but  as  there  was  no  evidence 
they  were  discharged." 

"Rather  fierce  racing,"  came  the  easy  drawl 
through  the  partition  of  the  stall  and  which  I  credited 
to  the  New  Orleans  member  of  the  party.  "Reckon  if 
old  Ben  had  been  there  he  would  have  found  the  man 
even  if  he  had  been  forced  to  run  all  of  them  through 
a  seive." 

"Think  so,  do  you?"  remarked  his  huskiness.  "Well 
probably  you  know,  but  if  no  one  objects,  I  move  that 
the. orator  as  soon  as  he  has  taken  a  breath  or  two 
spiels  a  trifle  on  the  text.  That  plank  business  made 
me  feel  a  trifle  creepy." 

After  a  slight  interruption,  during  which  I  aroused 
myself  enough  to  relight  my  cigar,  I  again  heard  the 
familiar  voice  swing  into  line  with  the  remark : 


THK  FIRST   RACE.  19 

"In  the  town  of  Z there  was  a  square  plot  of 

about  two  hundred  acres  off  to  the  north  end  that  was 
called  'the  commons.'  No  one  knew  who  owned  it, 
except  possibly  the  tax  collector,  and  as  it  never  raised 
anything  but  sour  sorrels  and  a  crop  of  short  curly 
grass  which  turned  brown  and  dried  when  the  sun 
struck  it  in  July,  it  was  used  as  a  field  for  cricket,  base- 
ball and  lacrosse.  Football  had  not  as  yet  broken  into 
that  latitude,  while  golf  was  still  smouldering  among 
the  hills  in  Scotland.  At  the  lower  end  of  'the  com- 
mons' there  was  a  cone-shaped  hill,  one  side  of  which 
had  been  worked  as  a  gravel  pit,  and  around  the  hill 
there  was  a  race  track,  which  I  suppose  was  a  mile  in 
circumference.  It  was  laid  off  on  the  turf  and  defined 
by  a  furrow  on  each  side  of  the  course  which  was  laid 
out  so  long  before  my  time  that  the  mark  made  by  the 
plough  had  grown  over  and  left  only  a  slight  de- 
pression in  the  sod.  The  judges'  stand,  four  uprights 
with  cross  pieces  on  which  four  or  five  boards  were 
thrown,  was  located  on  the  outside  of  the  track  and  at 
a  point  from  which  about  three-fourths  of  it  could  be 
seen.  As  for  the  spectators,  they  took  in  the  races  from 
the  top  of  the  hill,  leisurely  walking  around  the  cone 
while  the  gallopers  fought  it  out  between  the  two  fur- 
rows at  the  base.  It  was  on  this  track  I  saw  my  first 
race  and,  strange  enough,  it  was  the  last  one  run 
over  it.  The  starters  were  Sorrel  Billy,  a  white-faced 
gelding  owned  by  the  son  of  a  wagonmaker  who  was 
doing  his  level  best  to  make  an  honest  living  in  the 
livery  business,  and  Bay  Frank,  a  gelding  with  a  long 
tail  owned  by  a  hotel  keeper  on  the  other  side  of  the 

river,  which  divided  the  town  of  Z into  two  halves 

and  two  factions  on  anything  that  ever  came  up  from 


20  THE    BEGINNING. 

a  dog  fight  to  buying  a  fire  engine.  The  squabbles 
between  the  people  on  each  side  of  the  river  were  all 
that  ever  kept  that  town  alive,  and  were  I  to  enter  into 
them  and  relate  how  the  boys  would  fight  on  the 
least— 

"Oh,  cut  it,  cut  it,"  broke  in  the  husky  one.  "Bring 
out  the  horse." 

"Thanks  for  touching  the  button,"  continued  the 
story  teller.  "The  story  of  the  race  is  soon  told.  They 
were  off  after  a  couple  of  breaks  and  as  they  started 
the  crowd  began  to  follow  them  around  the  hill,  each 
man  and  woman — there  were  a  few  of  the  latter  pres- 
ent— and  an  avalanche  of  small  boys  cheering  them 
on.  At  the  finish  they  were  heads  apart,  the  bay  being 
in  front.  Sorrel  Billy's  rider  claimed  that  he  was 
crowded  on  the  back  of  the  hill.  The  judges  could  not 
see  it  and  as  patrols  were  not  thought  of,  all  of  the 
people  on  Sorrel  Billy's  side  of  the  river,  and  they  were 
in  the  majority,  as  the  track  was  located  in  their 
territory,  crowded  around  the  judges'  stand  and  de- 
manded a  decision  in  his  favor.  The  followers  of  Bay 
Frank  were  equally  determined  to  have  the  stakes  and 
contended  that  he  won.  It  looked  as  though  there 
was  going  to  be  a  riot,  when  one  of  the  judges,  a  big 
red-faced  individual  standing  fully  six  feet  and  built 
with  a  girth  which  always  made  me  wonder  how  he 
managed  to  climb  up  the  ladder  into  the  stand,  waved 
his  hand  for  silence.  When  the  tumult  subsided  he 
said:  'The  judges  have  decided  that  the  race  just 
run  is  a  tie  and  that  it  will  be  run  off  at  three  o'clock 
to-morrow  afternoon.'  A  few  cheered,  several 
whistled  and  a  number  growled,  but  when  the  horses 
were  led  away,  they  all  disappeared. 


THE   METAIRIE   COURSE.  21 

"As  for  the  race,  it  was  never  run  off,  as  that  night 
Sorrel  Billy  kicked  down  one  side  of  his  stall  an-d  im- 
paled himself  on  the  splintered  end  of  a  scantling 
which  supported  the  partition.  He  was  dead  when 
they  found  him.  The  following  year  a  man  from  the 
other  side  of  the  river  screwed  up  enough  courage  to 
buy  a  corner  of  'the  commons/  and  as  the  lot  cut  into 
the  track  the  gallopers  had  to  do  the  balance  of  their 
racing  on  the  road." 

"Reckon  he  did  it  to  get  even  like  a  gent  down  our 
way,"  broke  in  the  smooth  voice  of  the  New  Orleans 
party.  "In  the  days  before  the  war  New  Orleans  was 
the  most  important  racing  point  outside  of  New  York. 
The  planters  would  come  down  there  for  a  frolic  and 
when  their  blood  was  up  they  thought  nothing  of 
betting  a  bunch  of  niggers  or  a  crop  of  cotton  across 
the  green  cloth  or  on  the  old  Metairie  course  providing 
they  could  find  a  gentleman  to  bet  with.  They  were 
very  particular  on  that  point,  so  much  so  that  they 
kept  their  set  as  exclusive  as  New  York's  '400.' 

"At  the  time  I  speak  of  the  New  Orleans  club  was 
very  select  and  to  be  admitted  to  membership  a  man 
had  to  be  considered  a  gentleman  of  family  as  well  as 
have  the  where-withal  to  settle  with  should  he  happen 
to  take  hold  of  the  wrong  end  of  a  betting  proposition. 
Upon  a  certain  occasion  a  local  gentleman  who  had 
either  made  his  money  over  the  cloth  or  in  the  lottery, 
I  do  not  now  remember  which,  if  either,  presented  an 
application  to  join  the  club  and  was  blackballed.  It 
riled  him,  as  after  winning  his  way  in  the  world  he 
wanted  to  be  a  gentleman  among  gentlemen,  but  the 
club  members  did  not  look  at  it  in  that  way.  They 
believed  that  gentlemen,  like  race  horses,  were  bred 


22  THE   BEGINNING. 

in  certain  lines  and  unless  they  could  trace  their  pedi- 
gree for  a  few  generations  they  were  classed  with  the 
01  TroAAot.  Arguments,  pulls  and  pressure  were  tried 
in  this  case,  but  without  avail,  until  finally  the  rejected 
applicant  arose  in  his  wrath  and  said  with  a  bounding 
American  expletive  that  he  would  buy  the  track 
over  which  Lexington  and  scores  of  old-time  cham- 
pions had  raced  and  turn  it  into  a  graveyard.  And  he 
did,  the  ground  covered  by  the  beautiful  Metairie 
Cemetery  being  the  site  of  the  old  race  course  which 
you  have  heard  of  in  song  and  story." 

"Step  a  heat  with  that,"  broke  in  the  husky  one,  as 
I  heard  some  one  by  my  ear  scratch  a  match  on  the 
wall  and  take  a  few  puffs  at  a  cigar. 

"How  would  it  do  to  trot  a  heat  or  two  seeing  that 
some  one  has  cut  a  slice  out  of  the  track  around  the 
hill?" 

"I  will  go  you  just  once,"  was  the  reply  of  the  party 
who  had  been  doing  most  of  the  talking,  "and  tell  you 
of  a  trotting  race  on  the  river." 

"The  what?"  said  husky  voice.  "Do  they  walk  on 
the  water  where  you  come  from?" 

"Scarcely,  scarcely.  This  is  one  on  the  ice.  Some- 
thing that  will  please  my  friend  from  the  edge  of  the 
levee,  as  he  never  saw  a  piece  of  ice  outside  of  a  wagon 
or  a  high  ball.  This  trip  I  will'  take  you  to  the  land 
where  there  are  miles  of  it  and  going  on  the  runners 
for  four  or  five  months  each  year." 

"I  feel  cooler  already,"  chipped  in  the  husky  voice. 
"Oh,  what  a  yarn  for  a  July  night  with  the  ther- 
mometer in  the  top  of  the  tube.  Let  me  touch  the 
button  just  once  more  and  then  we  will  be  with  you." 


RACING   ON   THE   ICE.  23 

In  a  few  minutes  a  general  settling  in  the  chairs 
showed  that  every  one  was  ready  for  a  trip  on  the  ice, 
which  ran  as  follows : 

"As  I  have  told  you  the  town  of  Z was  located 

on  a  fair  sized  river.  During  the  summer  it  was  the 
scene  of  many  a  boating  party  and  fishing  expedition, 
while  in  the  winter  after  the  snow  had  drifted  the 
roads  full,  the  bulk  of  the  travel  was  done  on  it.  As 
soon  as  the  Christmas  holidays  were  over  every  man 
in  the  town  with  an  eye  for  a  horse  began  to  talk  about 
a  winter  meeting.  It  was  the  absorbing  topic  from 
that  time  until  the  bills  were  out,  while  every  horse  in 
the  neighborhood  that  was  threatened  with  speed  re- 
ceived as  much  drilling  as  a  candidate  for  a  Grand  Cir- 
cuit event.  Also  about  this  time  what  were  known 
as  the  'cute  ones'  were  apt  to  disappear  for  a  few  days 
and  eventually  show  up  on  the  street  with  a  new  horse 
or  two  hitched  to  a  speeder.  One  man  in  particular 
made  a  specialty  of  this  for  a. number  of  years,  but  for 
some  reason  or  other  his  pupils  always  failed  to  con- 
nect. He  always  had  the  speed  and  could  fly  when 
alone,  but  when  he  broke  into  company  they  either 
pulled  so  that  he  could  not  control  them  or  proved  bad 
actors.  Each  winter  the  old  heads  would  gather 
around  the  stove  in  the  tavern  and  tell  of  a  new  one 
that  had  been  added  to  the  list  of  misfits,  and  after  a 
few  hot  scotches  or  a  little  straight  proof  they  went 
home  convinced  in  their  own  minds  that  it  would 
not  do. 

"Finally  one  crisp  winter  morning  the  star  figure 
in  the  bunch  of  'cute  ones'  appeared  on  the  street  be- 
hind a  little  gray  mare  that  stepped  and  acted  like  the 
regulation  article.  She  poked  along  with  her  head 


24  THE   BEGINNING. 

down  and  so  far  as  appearances  went,  seemed  to  know 
as  much  about  road  work  as  the  man  who  was  driving 
her,  and  that  was  saying  considerable.  Before  night 
those  who  had  not  seen  the  gray  had  heard  of  her  and 
when  the  evening  session  opened  the  talent  voted  to 
buy  a  whisk  brpom  and  send  it  over  to  the  barn,  as  it 
might  come  in  handy  to  brush  off  the  white  hairs  and 
the  snow  balls  which  were  looming  up  in  the  future. 
All  of  this  was  done  the  following  day,  and  when  the 
cronies  came  together  again  for  a  smoke  and  a  talk 
their  messenger  told  them  that  their  gift  was  accepted 
and  that  word  was  also  sent  to  them  that  if  they  did 
not  keep  their  eye  on  Nelly  Gray — that  was  the  mare's 
name — their  pocketbooks  would  not  need  dusting 
when  she  began  to  shed  her  coat.  When  Hi  Hopkins 
was  told  about  this  the  next  day  I  thought  he  would 
die  laughing,  but  he  and  his  friends  survived  until 
race  week. 

"As  none  of  you  were  ever  at  an  old  style  winter 
meeting  I  will  give  you  an  idea  as  to  how  the  business 
is  conducted.  A  week  or  two  before  the  meeting  three 
or  four  teams  are  hitched  to  a  big  snow  plow  and  sent 
down  the  river  to  make  the  track.  They  scrape  four 
or  five  paths,  the  number  depending  on  the  width  of 
the  river  or  the  probable  number  of  starters.  Each 
competitor  in  these  races  had  a  track  to  himself,  the 
snow  that  covered  it  being  shoved  into  a  mound  ex- 
tending from  one  end  of  the  course  to  the  other.  In 
Nelly  Gray's  year  the  finish  was  about  a  mile  below 
the  town  near  the  mouth  of  a  little  bay  where  the  boys 
gathered  water  lilies  and  killed  frogs  during  the  sum- 
mer months.  From  this  point  it  bore  off  to  the  left 
and  after  a  straight  strip  of  river  for  about  half  a  mile 


NELLY    GRAY.  27 

disappeared  around  a  bend  which  was  covered  by  a 
heavy  growth  of  timber.  From  there  it  cut  across  to 
a  point  where  during  the  fishing  season  all  of  the  river 
boats  stopped  for  a  supply  of  spring  water,  and  on 
rounding  it  followed  the  stream  straight  away  to  the 
starting  point. 

"When  the  race  day  arrived  all  of  the  male  popula- 
tion of  the  town  that  could  get  away  from  work  and 
those  who  had  no  business  engagements  to  bother 
them,  together  with  a  swarm  of  small  boys,  many  of 
whom  I  am  sorry  to  say  were  playing  'hookey'  from 
school,  were  on  the  river,  groups  of  them  being  gath- 
ered about  huge  fires  which  were  lighted  on  the  banks 
and  even  on  the  ice  near  the  finish,  while  the  more  for- 
tunate jogged  up  and  down  in  cutters  or  long  sleighs 
with  seats  on  each  side  of  the  box.  Each  of  the  town 
taverns  were  also  represented  by  a  refreshment  sleigh, 
at  which  you  could  get  a  bite  to  eat  or  a  sup  to  drink. 

"For  the  first  day  of  the  meeting  there  was  but  one 
race  on  the  programme.  In  it  Nelly  Gray  was  to  meet 
Hi  Hopkins'  big  gelding  Pepper  Duster  and  an  un- 
known that  had  drifted  into  town  under  the  cover  of 
darkness.  For  three  seasons  Pepper  Duster  had  had 
everything  his  own  way  and  Hi  was  vain  enough  to 
think  that  his  run  of  luck  would  continue.  The  night 
before  the  race  while  he  and  his  cronies  were  talking 
it  over,  Hi  offered  to  bet  $10  that  he  would  distance 
Nelly  Gray  and  every  man  in  the  party  believed  it. 
When  the  horses  were  called  Pepper  Duster,  as  I  now 
remember  him,  looked  a  little  the  worse  for  wear,  as 
notwithstanding  his  speed  Hi  made  him  earn  his  oats 
when  there  was  no  racing  to  be  done.  Nelly  Gray 
looked  very  cheap  along  side  of  him  as  she  jogged  by 


28  THE    BEGINNING. 

with  her  head  down  and  many  a  head  shook  as  she 
passed  around  the  bend,  while  for  the  hundredth  time 
some  one  remembered  that  'a  fool  and  his  money  were 
soon  parted.'  Ninety  per  cent  of  those  who  had  made 
the  trip  to  the  track  wanted  to  see  Nelly  Gray's  owner 
defeated,  as  being  a  newcomer  in  the  town  they  looked 
upon  him  as  an  interloper,  while  Hi  and  his  father  be- 
fore him  had  been  a  taxpayer  from  time  out  of  mind, 
and  while  he  might  not  be  as  smart  or  as  sprucely 
dressed  as  those  who  had  been  to  New  York  or 
Buffalo,  he  knew  a  thing  or  two,  and  don't  you  for- 
get it. 

"Talk  ran  high  after  the  three  competitors  and  the 
judges  in  a  sleigh  to  which  a  pair  of  running  horses 
were  hitched  departed  for  the  starting  point.  Every- 
body appeared  to  be  for  Pepper  Duster,  while  those 
who  had  seen  the  preceding  races  cracked  jokes  over 
the  other  stars  which  Nelly  Gray's  owner  had  imported 
to  defeat  him.  After  a  short  wait  word  came  down  the 
line  that  they  were  off  and  by  the  time  that  the  buz- 
zing had  ceased,  the  three  of  them  were  seen  coming 
around  the  bend.  Pepper  Duster  was  out  in  front  and 
marching  like  a  drum  major,  while  Nelly  Gray  and  the 
unknown  appeared  to  be  within  a  couple  of  lengths  of 
him.  There  was  no  change  to  the  finish,  Pepper 
Duster  winning  by  a  couple  of  lengths,  amid  the 
huzzas  of  his  enthusiastic  admirers.  Nelly  Gray,  to 
the  surprise  of  every  one,  never  made  a  break,  while 
Hi  was  clever  enough  to  see  that  her  driver  was  only 
sizing  him  up  and  would  trim  him  when  he  was  good 
and  ready.  And  so  it  proved,  as  after  nipping  him  out 
at  the  finish  in  the  second  and  third  heats,  Nelly  Gray 
was  cut  loose  and  made  a  'holy  show'  of  old  Pepper 


HI    HOPKINS   TRIMMED.  29 

Duster.  Those  who  remained  to  see  the  last  heat  re- 
turned to  town  in  the  dumps.  They  looked  as  if  they 
had  been  to  a  funeral,  the  owner  of  Nelly  Gray  and  the 
•'cute  ones'  who  had  an  idea  as  to  what  she  could  do 
being  the  only  followers  of  the  races  who  had  a  smile 
to  spare  that  evening. 

"On  the  following  day  Nelly  Gray  won  again.  Hi 
Hopkins  was  very  conspicuous  by  his  absence,  and 
Pepper  Duster  for  the  first  time  since  he  was  known 
as  a  trotter  was  marked  as  a  non-starter  on  the  memo- 
randum in  the  hands  of  the  judges.  The  telegraph 
operator  at  the  depot  said  that  Hi  had  taken  the  mid- 
night train,  but  as  he  had  jumped  aboard  without  buy- 
ing a  ticket  he  had  no  idea  as  to  where  he  had  gone. 
On  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  which  was  the  last  of 
the  meeting,  a  rumor  floated  about  town  that  Hi  had 
returned  with  a  trotter  that  would  smother  Nelly  Gray 
and  the  unknown,  but  as  no  one  was  permitted  to  see 
the  phenomenon  it  was  not  possible  to  confirm  or  con- 
tradict the  report. 

"A  little  before  noon  one  of  the  men  in  Hi's  stable 
was  seen  leading  a  big  horse  covered  with  a 
hood  and  blanket  from  nose  to  tail  towards  the  river. 
All  that  could  be  seen  of  the  horse  was  four  black  legs, 
and  by  that  they  knew  that  it  was  not  Pepper  Duster, 
as  one  of  his  front  legs  was  white  half  way  to  the  knee. 
This  was  a  declaration  of  war.  Hi's  racing  dander 
was  up  and  the  horse  in  the  blanket  represented  it. 
Being  Saturday,  all  of  the  farmers  who  had  come  into 
town  to  do  a  little  shopping  joined  the  town  folk  when 
they  started  for  the  river,  and  I  doubt  if  there  ever  was 
before  or  since  such  a  crowd  seen  at  a  horse  race  in 
that  place.  When  Hi  arrived  he  had  the  new  'critter,' 


30  THE   BEGINNING. 

as  he  called  it,  hitched  to  his  speeding  sleigh  and  when 
the  blankets  were  pulled  off,  those  who  were  near  by 
saw  a  sixteen-hand  brown  gelding  a  little  on  the  leggy 
order  with  a  head  like  a  barrel,  long,  tapering  ears1 
which  almost  met  at  the  tips  and  a  rat  tail  that  worked 
up  and  down  like  a  pump  handle  when  he  was  going. 
As  he  warmed  him  up  a  little  all  but  his  cronies  began 
to  think  that  for  once  in  his  life  Hi  Hopkins  had  been 
skinned  in  a  horse  deal.  And  so  it  proved,  as  both 
Nelly  Gray  and  the  unknown  trotted  rings  around  him 
when  it  came  to  racing. 

"Fifteen  or  sixteen  years  after  the  above  race  was 
trotted,!  was  one  Sunday  morning  sitting  on  the  steps 
in  front  of  the  club  house  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New 
York.  A  number  of  members'  horses  were  being 
worked  for  the  edification  of  their  owners,  one  of  the 
lot  being  a  low-headed  gray  mare  without  a  name  or 
record.  After  a  couple  of  warming  up  heats  she 
stepped  a  mile  in  2  125  and  a  fraction,  the  last  quarter 
of  it  being  a  shade  better  than  a  twenty  gait.  Her 
owner  was  delighted  with  the  performance  and  after 
the  honors  had  been  done  in  the  usual  way,  said  that 
he  had  owned  and  driven  her  dam  and  her  grandam, 
both  of  them  being  grays  and  gaited  like  the  one  we 
had  just  seen.  He  also  stated  that  the  grandam  had 
made  a  record  in  the  thirties  and  had  trotted  Fleet- 
wood  better  than  2 130,  but  that  he  had  sold  her  to 
some  one  living  up  north  after  she  had  been  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  get  mixed  up  in  a  runaway  on  Seventh 
Avenue.  At  this  point  I  asked  him  her  name  and  he 
replied,  'Nelly  Gray.'  " 

As  he  spoke  the  name  I  heard  a  shuffling  of  feet 
and  a  husky  voice  say  "Shake,"  while  at  the  same  time 


THE   AWAKENING.  31 

a  hand  touched  my  shoulder  and  a  voice  in  the  stall  I 
occupied  roused  me  with  the  remark,  "A  note  for  you, 
sir."  I  opened  it  and  read,  "Come  quick,  or  there  will 
be  a  strike.  There  is  not  a  man  on  the  job  who  can 
read  your  copy.  W.  B." 

As  I  paid  my  check  at  the  bar  I  asked  Frawley  the 
names  of  the  parties  in  the  next  stall.  "A  bunch  of 
Southerners,"  he  replied,  "who  came  on  to  play  Hal 
Pointer.  They  have  the  money  and  went  out  about 
an  hour  ago  to  see  how  Cleveland  looks  by  gas  light. 
Good  night." 


THE  GENERAL. 


"Can  she  Win?" — gee  whiz — I  reckoned 

You  had  been  out  to  the  track, 
Her  quarter  in  thirty-two  seconds 
Made  the  favorite  look  like  a  hack. 

"Good  actor?" — never  a  better, 

Head  down  and  as  clever  as  Mace, 
Every  stride  right  to  the  letter; 

The  best  trotter  they  have  on  the  place. 

"Will  he  try?" — now  that's  a  fine  query 

Do  you  think  they  came  here  for  their  health? 
You  scribblers  always  make  Turner  weary, 
Run  along  and  get  some  of  the  wealth. 

For  centuries  Ireland  has  been  referred  to  as  the 
nursery  of  noted  men  who,  after  abandoning  the  land 
of  their  birth,  became  prominent  on  foreign  soil.  For 
time  out  of  mind  the  Irish  have  been  referred  to  as  a 
people  who  were  "driven  from  home,"  their  troubles 
beginning  long  before  Cromwell  transported  hundreds 
of  them  to  the  West  Indies  or  any  other  point  towards 
which  he  could  with  safety  send  a  ship.  But  with  all 
their  misfortunes  the  Irish  flourished,  their  valor,  wit 
and  industry,  blended  with  a  temperament  that  comes 
up  smiling  in  the  face  of  all  kinds  of  misfortune,  car- 
rying them  triumphantly  into  port. 

It  is  a  long  skip  from  Brian  Boru  to  Bobs,  but  at 
every  step  on  the  stairs  you  will  find  an  Irishman 
attracting  attention  either  by  his  fighting  qualities, 
volubility,  call  it  eloquence  if  you  will,  or  disposition 


JOHN  E.  TURNER.  33 

to  work,  and  while  thousands  of  them  never  learn  the 
value  of  a  dollar  there  are  others  who  do  and  succeed 
in  amassing  a  comfortable  fortune  in  the  most  hazard- 
ous enterprises.  On  the  trotting  turf  one  of  the  latter 
by  his  skill  as  a  reinsman  and  his  ability  to  deliver  "the 
goods"  when  due,  was  assigned  the  title  of  "General," 
his  name  on  the  Pennsylvania  tax  list  appearing  as 
John  E.  Turner.  * 

A  sketch  of  John  E.  Turner's  career  reads  like  that 
of  many  another  lad  who  started  at  the  foot  of  the  lad- 
der, Irish  wit,  clear  head,  and  thrifty  habits  proving  his 
talisman.  Aladdin  did  not  come  around  mornings  and 
let  John  E.  rub  his  lamp  for  luck  or  to  help  his  imagi- 
nation, as  the  young  man  was  always  up  at  peep  of 
day  looking  for  the  nimble  sixpence.  As  a  boy,  he 
started  out  to  care  for  horses  that  came  to  the  shed  of 
a  road  house  near  Philadelphia,  while  those  who  made 
up  the  driving  brigade  of  the  day  were  inside  toasting 
their  shins  and  swapping  experiences,  as  they  had  a 
"little  of  something."  Turner  was  so  industrious  that 
he  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  road  drivers  by 
his  good  manners  and  the  taste  which  he  displayed  in 
keeping  everything  in  shipshape  order,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  care  that  he  took  of  their  horses  after  a  spin. 
One  gentleman  in  particular  thought  that  the  Irish  lad 
should  have  a  horse  to  drive  on  the  road,  so  he  sent 
him  an  old  stallion  named  May  Day.  Turner  soon 

*The  term  "General."  or  "Little  General,"  -was  first  connected  with  John 
E.  Turner's  name  in  the  summer  of  1878.  In  April,  1903,  when  referring  to  it, 
Charles  H.  Page,  of  Philadelphia,  wrote  as  follows:  "One  afternoon  in  the 
summer  of  1878,  in  company  with  A.  G.  Westmore,  who  at  that  time  was  doing 
turf  work  for  "The  Item,"  as  we  were  sitting  on  the  fresh  green  sward  waiting, 
wondering  and  watching,  we  saw  Turner,  who  was  engaged  in  a  race,  skirmish- 
ing and  manoeuvering  for  a  position,  and  when  he  won  the  heat,  one  of  us — and 
I  think  I  am  the  man — used  the  words  "Little  General."  The  following  Sunday 
Mr.  Westmore  used  the  words  "Little  General"  in  "The  Item."  That  was  the 
start  of  "General"  or  "Little  General."  " 


34  THE   GENERAL. 

found  a  way  to  hitch  the  veteran  and  it  was  not  long- 
before  he  began  to  step  him.  It  was  along  in  May 
when  the  old  horse  was  sent  to  him  and  the  sun  never 
caught  John  E.  in  bed  from  that  time  until  he  met  a 
Waterloo  that  almost  put  a  damper  on  his  prospects. 

May  Day  could  trot,  and  the  brushes  that  he  re- 
ceived mornings  together  with  the  care  made  him  feel 
like  a  game  cock.  His  young  teamster  was  sweet  on 
the  old  horse,  so  he  let  him  move  along  at  times.  On 
the  Waterloo  day,  the  pair  had  been  down  a  side  drive, 
and  as  they  struck  the  macadam,  May  Day  asked  for 
his  head.  Unfortunately  for  Turner  and  his  hopes, 
that  piece  of  road  had  been  treated  to  a  few  loads  of 
broken  stone  the  day  before.  When  the  old  horse 
reached  it  he  stumbled  and  fell,  Turner  flew  over  his 
head,  and  when  the  pair  managed  to  get  on  their  feet 
again,  they  looked  like  a  couple  of  defeated  gladiators. 
May  Day's  knees  were  cut  and  bleeding  and  he  had  a 
dozen  other  wounds,  while  Turner's  face  was  almost 
peeled  and  his  hands  were  not  much  better.  The  pair 
wandered  back  to  the  tavern,  and  before  the  blood  had 
been  washed  off  the  owner  of  May  Day  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance. After  looking  them  over  he  took  the  horse 
home.  Turner  never  saw  him  again,  but  after  he  had 
drifted  to  the  race  tracks,  he  found  a  mare  by  May 
Day  that  proved  the  nest  egg  from  which  his  fortune 
was  hatched. 

This  horse,  May  Day,  was,  according  to  W.H.Van 
Cott — who  gave  Flora  Temple  her  first  lessons — bred 
by  Jacob  S.  Platt,  the  New  York  merchant,  after  whom 
Platt  street  in  that  city  was  named.  He  had  three 
Canadian  trotting  mares  named  Surrey,  Bet  and  Rose. 
Surrey  was  very  fast  for  her  day  and  could  trot  in 


EARLY   DAYS.  35 

about  2  140,  a  remarkable  performance  in  the  thirties, 
when  a  2  130  horse  was  an  unknown  quantity  and  John 
Treadwell  was  chanting  the  praises  of  Abdallah. 
Jacob  Platt  bred  these  mares,  and  from  Rose,  a 
chunky  mare  with  a  good  head  and  neck,  he  got  a 
chestnut  colt,  by  Henry,  who  then  stood  on  Long 
Island  at  Jacob  Van  Cott's  stable.  The  colt  was 
foaled  on  the  first  day  of  May  and  was  named  May 
Day.  He  grew  up  to  be  a  fine  looking  horse,  was  sold 
to  New  Jersey  parties  and  eventually  drifted  to  Phila- 
delphia. Bet  never  produced  any  foals  worthy  of 
mention,  but  Surrey  afterwards  threw  Henry  Clay  to 
the  cover  of  Andrew  Jackson. 

John  E.  Turner's  early  days  were  ones  in  which 
hard  work  took  out  all  of  the  play.  He  had  to  see 
where  the  money  came  from  and  also  see  that  it  was 
spent  judiciously.  On  that  account  he  did  not  enjoy 
any  of  the  advantages  of  education.  His  school  ex- 
perience was  of  but  three  or  four  days'  duration. 
While  he  was  at  the  tavern  looking  after  the  road 
horses  of  its  patrons,  the  wife  of  a  gentleman  who  was 
connected  with  one  of  the  express  companies  in  Phila- 
delphia, asked  him  if  he  had  ever  been  to  school.  On 
receiving  an  answer  in  the  negative,  she  had  her  hus- 
band make  arrangements  for  John  to  attend  school 
during  the  winter.  He  did  so,  but  the  surroundings 
were  new  to  a  boy  that  had  been  out  of  doors  all  of 
his  life.  After  an  hour  or  two  his  legs  began  to  cramp. 
Then,  to  make  matters  worse,  he  imagined  that  he 
could  not  wrestle  with  the  pot  hooks  and  other 
primary  marks  in  chirography  as  cleverly  as  others  of 
his  age,  so  he  politely  took  French  leave  of  the  institu- 
tion and  the  gentlemanly  tutor  and  made  his  way  back 


36  THE  GENERAL. 

to  the  shed.  Years  after  he  saw  that  he  had  made  a 
mistake,  and  busied  himself  about  learning  how  to 
read,  write  and  do  a  little  financiering. 

As  the  years  slipped  by,  Turner  drifted  to  the  race 
tracks,  where  he  found  employment  as  a  groom  and 
invested  his  savings  in  a  bay  mare  that  caught  his 
fancy.  In  those  days  Sunday  was  selected  by  the  road 
drivers  to  visit  the  horses  which  they  had  in  training, 
and  they  usually  sat  around  the  track  for  half  of  the 
day,  making  matches  and  talking  horse.  On  the  morn- 
ing that  John  E.Turner  again  attracts  attention  he  was 
walking  his  mare.  A  few  of  the  enthusiasts  present 
were  on  match-making  intent  and  kept  chaffing  the 
shrewd  youngster,  as  they  classed  Turner,  when  he 
told  them  that  his  mare  could  trot  faster  than  anything 
on  the  track.  The  usual  smile  went  around  the 
circle,  but  the  up-shot  of  the  business  was  that  he 
made  three  matches.  He  had  all  of  his  capital  on  the 
first  and  won.  This  made  plain  sailing  for  the  second. 
He  won  it  and  the  third  was  never  decided.  With  this 
money  and  what  was  added  to  it  as  the  days  rolled  by, 
the  budding  reinsman  found  May  Queen.  She  put 
him  on  his  feet,  not  only  financially,  but  also  as  a 
trainer.  May  Queen  was  brought  out  by  John  B. 
Haines,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.  He  drove  her  with  an- 
other little  bay  mare  named  Lucy  and  they  made  a 
spanking  team.  Haines  began  racing  May  Queen 
over  at  the  Mount  Holly  fair  grounds.  She  won  for 
him  and  was  the  star  trotter  of  that  section  of  New 
Jersey  when  he  sold  her  to  Turner.  May  Queen  won 
more  races  for  him  than  any  horse  he  ever  pulled  a 
line  over,  dozens  of  them  never  being  reported. 
Starting  out  from  Philadelphia  he  drove  from  town  to 
town,  once  going  as  far  west  as  Iowa. 


MAY   QUEEN.  37 

A  short  time  before  the  war  Turner  happened  to  be 
in  Buffalo  with  his  horses.  Hearing  of  a  meeting  at 
Homer,  a  little  hamlet,  or  rather  a  hotel,  blacksmith 
.shop,  store  and  race  track  about  three  miles  from  St. 
Catherines,  Ontario,  he  decided  to  invade  Canada  with 
May  Queen  and  a  green  horse  which  he  had  picked  up 
for  a  trifle.  When  Turner  and  his  horses  arrived  in 
St.  Catherines,  he  found  that  if  he  wanted  to  go  to. 
Homer  he  would  have  to  walk.  The  road,  after  cross- 
ing the  Welland  Canal,  was  sandy  with  considerable 
fine  gravel  in  it.  This  annoyed  him,  as  he  was  wear- 
ing a  pair  of  patent  leather  shoes  which  he  had 
purchased  in  Buffalo,  so  he  pulled  them  off  and 
trudged  on  to  Homer  on  nature's  sandals.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  when  Turner  tried  to  get  his  shoes  on 
he  found  that  they  were  too  small.  His  feet  had 
swollen,  and  nothing  remained  for  him  to  do  but  to 
travel  to  St.  Catherines  for  another  pair  or  go  bare- 
footed. He  chose  the  latter  and  won  a  race  with  May 
Queen  and  two  with  the  green  horse  in  that  make-up. 
Tom  Brown,  the  party  giving  the  meeting,  wanted  to 
buy  the  green  horse  before  he  started,  as  Tow  Boy 
was  getting  to  be  a  back  number.  Turner's  price  was 
$400.  The  old  man  hesitated,  but  after  the  horse  had 
won  his  races  paid  $600  in  silver.  With  it  and  the 
purse  winnings  in  a  bag  which  was  tied  to  May 
Queen's  sulky,  Turner  and  his  mare  turned  their  backs 
on  Homer  forever. 

When  May  Queen  returned  to  Philadelphia  she 
had  speed  enough  to  defeat  all  but  three  or  four  of  the 
best  trotters  on  Long  Island  and  her  owner  was  not 
very  anxious  to  meet  them,  as  in  those  days  the  earn- 
ing capacity  of  the  trotter  depended  largely  upon  his 


38  THE   GENERAL. 

ability  to  win  matches,  and  in  order  to  do  that  a  horse 
had  to  be  a  shade  faster  than  he  had  ever  shown  in 
public.  About  this  time  a  few  of  the  Quaker  City  ex- 
perts also  decided  that  now  was  the  time  for  an  in- 
dustrious young  man  like  John  E.  Turner  to  lose  a 
little  of  the  coiri  of  the  realm  which  he  had  brought  on 
from  the  West,  and  in  order  to  separate  him  from  it 
.they  made  three  matches  to  be  trotted  inside  of  two 
weeks.  The  first  two  were  trotted  on  alternate  days, 
May  Queen  winning  both.  In  the  deciding  heat  of  the 
second  Turner  gave  her  a  mark  of  2  :3O.  The  day  after 
the  second  race  May  Queen  was  sold  for  $11,000  and 
Turner  paid  forfeit  in  the  third. 

The  story  of  the  sale  was  related  by  Turner  one 
afternoon  while  en  route  to  a  trotting  meeting.  "At 
that  time,"  he  said,  "I  was  living  quite  a  piece  out  of 
Philadelphia.  The  day  after  May  Queen's  second 
race  a  hack  drove  up  to  the  door  and  I  was  called  in 
from  the  stable  where  I  was  looking  after  the  mare. 
A  man  that  I  had  seen  about  the  tracks  and  knew  as 
'Squeally  Jack'  on  account  of  his  shrill  voice,  stepped 
out  and  said  that  he  had  come  to  buy  May  Queen  and 
was  going  to  take  her  to  California.  After  looking  her 
over  (and  she  was  smooth  as  oil  that  day)  he  asked  me 
my  price  and  I  told  him  $11,000.  It  just  about  took 
his  breath  away,  but  after  a  time  he  said  that  he  would 
give  me  $10,000;  but  I  would  not  hear  of  it.  He 
argued  and  talked  for  over  half  an  hour ;  told  me  it  was 
a  big  pile  of  money  and  all  that,  and  it  was  more  than 
I  had  ever  had  at  one  time  up  to  that  date,  but  it  was 
no  use.  I  saw  from  his  actions  that  he  wanted  the 
mare,  and  as  he  was  getting  in  the  hack  to  drive  away 
told  him  that  he  had  better  buy  her  then  and  save  $10 


$11, OCX)   FOR   MAY   QUEEN.  39 

for  hack  hire  coming  after  her  again.  He  would  not 
raise,  however ,  and  drove  away.  After  sundown, 
when  I  was  getting  ready  to  go  to  bed,  I  heard  a  hack 
drive  up.  It  was  followed  by  a  rap  at  the  door,  and 
when  I  went  out  I  found  my  man  back,  ready  to  pay 
$11,000  for  May  Queen.  Gallar  bought  her  that  night, 
took  her  to  California,  while  I  invested  the  $11,000  in 
the  house  I  lived  in  from  that  time  until  I  moved  to 
Ambler  Park." 

"But  why  did  you  hang  on  $11,000?"  asked  one  of 
the  party,  "or  come  to  place  that  price  on  May 
Queen?" 

"Well,  it  was  this  way,"  said  Turner,  "I  had  priced 
that  piece  of  property  and  found  it  could  be  bought 
for  $i  1,000.  As  soon  as  I  learned  that,  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  sell  May  Queen  for  that  figure." 

A  picture  of  May  Queen  has  a  place  on  the  walls 
of  Turner's  house,  one  of  Nettie  being  added  as  a  com- 
panion piece  at  a  later  date.  The  latter  was  his  most 
successful  money  getter.  When  racing  she  carried 
considerable  weight  and  had  a  will  of  her  own,  but 
she  also  had  that  happy  faculty  of  being  inside  of  the 
money  when  the  judges  made  their  announcements. 
Nettie  carries  the  race  record  of  the  Hambletonian 
family,  and  she  also  showed  in  public  faster  than  the 
mark  which  made  Dexter  a  champion,  as  she  was  well 
up  when  Lula  trotted  in  2:15  at  Buffalo  in  1875.  No 
effort  was  made  to  duplicate  the  performance  against 
the  watch,  as  Turner  never  had  the  time  record  bee  in 
his  bonnet,  as  of  all  things  that  he  had  no  use  for,  an 
outclassed  horse  was  placed  first  on  the  list.  Trinket 
is  the  only  fast  one  that  he  marked  in  that  manner,  her 
mile  in  2:14  being  trotted  over  Fleetwood  Park,  New 
York,  in  1881. 


40  THE  GENERAL. 

When  racing  for  large  or  small  purses  Turner  was 
always  opposed  to  going  out  for  a  heat  when  there 
was  not  one  chance  in  a  hundred  of  winning  the  race. 
When  he  cut  loose  he  wanted  everything  in  his  favor, 
his  horse  ready  for  a  hard  race  and  the  field  a  trifle 
slower  or  in  a  condition  to  come  back  to  him  after 
going  a  heat  or  two.  Until  such  a  state  of  affairs 
presented  itself  Turner  was  willing  to  wait,  laying 
back  far  enough  in  each  heat  to  not,  as  he  termed  it, 
"compromise  the  Judges."  Splan  was  also  for  many 
a  day  imbued  with  the  same  idea.  Both  of  them 
were  disposed  to  lay  up  a  heat  or  two  and  see  who 
was  going  to  do  the  fighting  before  they  tried.  From 
that  moment  they  differed  as  the  thousands  who  have 
seen  them  in  the  sulky  can  testify.  Splan's  seat  was 
simply  perfection.  With  hands  just  right  and  arms 
in  a  position  to  take  back  or  ease  away  in  an  instant, 
he  fitted  almost  any  kind  of  a  horse,  taking  to  them 
with  a  dash  that  was  characteristic  of  the  man.  At 
no  time  in  his  career  did  he  ever  drive  a  better  finish 
than  at  the  Cleveland  meeting  in  1892  when  he  chased 
Elmonarch  home  second  to  Robert  J.  The  roan 
gelding  wanted  a  rest  when  he  passed  the  distance. 
The  clip  was  faster  than  he  had  been  used  to,  in  fact 
faster  than  he  had  ever  shown.  The  wire  was  still 
a  hundred  yards  off  and  the  money  was  there. 
Gathering  him  up  Splan  lifted  the  gelding  through 
the  air  in  a  style  which  made  one  think  that  he  was 
wiggling  on  the  end  of  a  derrick,  hit  him  a  couple  of 
cuts  with  the  whip  to  chase  the  tired  feeling  out  of 
his  head  and  shoved  him  home  in  second  place.  All 
of  the  flourish,  dash  and  boldness  that  can  be  seen  in 
any  finish  was  displayed.  There  was  none  of  the 


HANNISAND    CHARLEY   FORD.  41 

John  Goldsmith  climbing:  or  the  winding  that  character- 
ized Wagner,  none  of  the  stiffness  seen  in  a  Hickok 
finish  or  recklessness  seen  in  Bowens,  but  there  was 
a  steady  get  there,  get  there  quickly  in  a  straight  line, 
and  at  the  same  time  make  no  mistakes.  Add  to  the 
above  a  "gift  of  gab"  which  can  be  equalled  only  by 
the  end  man  of  a  minstrel  show  and  a  war  whoop  of 
such  calliope  proportions  that  it  prompted  early  turf 
legislators  to  pass  a  rule  against  loud  shouting  and 
you  will  have  a  very  fair  idea  of  John  Splan  when  he 
and  Charley  Ford  met  Turner  and  Hannis  at  the 
West  Side  track  in  Chicago  in  1880. 

Hannis  was  a  bad  tempered  little  horse,  but  as 
Turner  knew  that  he  would  make  a  serviceable  piece 
of  racing  material  he  waited  for  him  and  was  reward- 
ed as  usual.  In  1880  after  a  series  of  races  in  which 
Hannis  had  never  shown  his  true  form,  Turner  landed 
in  Chicago  with  the  pony  cherry  ripe.  The  admirers 
of  Charley  Ford  were  confident  that  it  was  finding 
money  to  back  the  gray  gelding  at  any  kind  of  odds 
against  Hannis  and  Ettie  Jones  and  Turner  allowed 
them  to  think  so  until  they  were  "all  down."  After 
six  heats,  three  of  which  were  battles  royal,  the  dele- 
gations from  the  levee  had  lost  everything  but  their 
reputations.  Turner  had  the  money. 

As  for  the  race,  the  first  heat  was  declared  dead  in 
2:19*^,  although  Splan  always  contended  that  his 
horse  won  it.  The  Judges  then  as  now  did  the  think- 
ing and  after  Ford's  second  heat  in  2:16^4  the  game 
was  up,  although  the  betting  did  not  change.  In  the 
third  heat  Hannis  was  stepping  by  Ford  in  the  stretch 
when  he  caught  a  quarter  boot  and  left  his  feet,  the 
gray  gelding  winning  the  heat  in  2:19.  Splan's  last 


42  THE  GENERAL. 

great  effort  was  made  at  the  finish  of  the  fourth  heat 
which  went  to  Turner  in  2:18^4.  All  of  the  devices 
that  the  former  had  studied  in  the  sulky  and  with 
which  nature  had  endowed  him  were  called  into  play, 
while  Turner  sat  erect  driving  one  of  his  character- 
istic finishes.  ^Not  a  muscle  of  his  face  moved  as  he 
approached  the  stand,  as  he  knew  he  had  the  gelding 
beaten,  but  he  drove  with  all  the  skill  that  he  possess- 
ed and  did  not  let  a  motion  of  his  horse  escape  him. 
Two  miles  in  2  127  and  2  123  finished  the  race  in  favor 
of  Hannis. 

Such  an  experience  is  not  by  any  means  as  racy 
as  Gus  Glidden  had  in  the  early  seventies  when  trot- 
ting through  Illinois.  He  had  a  fair  young  horse  that 
few  people  knew  anything  about  and  as  no  one  was 
looking  for  fast  records,  he  and  three  others,  divided 
the  purses  and  trotted  according  to  the  humor  of  the 
party.  After  three  weeks  of  this  kind  of  racing,  during 
which  Glidden's  horse  was  nearer  the  distance  stand 
than  the  wire,  his  confederates  put  their  heads  to- 
gether and  decided  to  save  a  quarter  of  the  purse  by 
leaving  Gus  out  and  let  him  take  a  whirl  with  the  flag- 
man. Gus  did  not  object.  That  was  just  what  he 
was  waiting  for.  When  the  race  day  came  the  other 
owners  avoided  'Glidden  as  much  as  possible.  Noth- 
ing was  said  and  Glidden  did  not  show  a  disposition 
to  make  any  advances.  When  the  betting  began,  an 
unknown  appeared  and  bought  all  of  the  tickets  sold 
on  Glidden's  horse.  As  for  the  race  it  was  short  and 
sweet.  Glidden  knew  it  would  be  dangerous  to  pro- 
long it,  so  he  distanced  the  field  in  the  first  heat.  The 
combination  did  not  tumble  to  the  move  until  the  flag 
fell.  They  read  Glidden  the  riot  act,  but  it  did  no 
good  as  he  had  the  money. 


JOHN     E.    TURNER. 


HANNIS   DEFEATS    SHERIDAN.  45 

Turner  made  four  campaigns  with  Hannis.  He 
started  him  in  fifty-eight  races,  of  which  he  won  seven- 
teen, was  second  in  fifteen,  third  in  thirteen,  fourth 
in  nine,  unplaced  in  three,  and  divided  first,  second 
and  third  money  in  an  unfinished  event  with  Driver 
and  Dick  Swiveller  at  Beacon  Park,  Boston,  his  gross 
winnings  amounting  to  $23,835.  Hannis  made  his 
first  starts  at  the  Philadelphia  spring  meetings  in  1877, 
where  in  a  series  of  conditioning  races  he  was  de- 
feated by  Little  Mary,  General  Howard  and  the  gray 
gelding  Royal  George.  As  the  showing  was  favor- 
able Turner  had  Hannis  in  his  car  when  he  dropped 
into  the  Michigan  Circuit  in  June  with  Nettie,  Slow 
Go  and  the  balance  of  his  racing  material.  As  Hannis 
was  reserved  for  the  slow  classes  in  the  Grand  Circuit, 
the  entries  for  which  did  not  close  until  the  week  prior 
to  the  Chicago  and  Springfield  meetings,  which  were 
in  1877,  held  on  the  same  dates,  Hannis  did  not  show 
in  front  at  Grand  Rapids,  Jackson  or  Detroit,  the 
record  of  his  trip  showing  a  second  to  Teaser  at 
Grand  Rapids,  a  second  to  Jacksonville  Boy  and  a 
third  to  Monroe  Chief  at  Jackson  and  seconds  to  the 
same  pair  at  Detroit. 

At  Chicago  the  entries  for  the  Grand  Circuit  hav- 
ing closed,  Hannis  being  named  in  the  slow  classes 
from  Cleveland  to  Hartford,  the  brakes  were  taken 
off  and  the  Mambrino  Pilot  pony  began  his  memor- 
able trip  down  the  line  by  adding  two  first  moneys  to 
the  Turner  stable  with  six  heats,  the  fastest  being 
trotted  in  2 127.  At  Cleveland  the  Eastern  and 
Western  stables  met.  Dan  Mace  had  won  a  great 
race  at  Springfield  with  Sheridan,  and  his  admirers 
were  confident  that  the  Edward  Everett  gelding  could 


46  THE   GENERAL. 

lower  the  colors  of  Hannis  and  all  the  other  horses 
named  in  the  2 134  class.  When  Col.  William  Ed- 
wards rang  the  bell  for  the  race  Turner  appeared  with 
Hannis,  followed  by  Mace  behind  Sheridan  and  Lady 
Pritchard  with  John  Murphy  in  the  sulky.  The  other 
starters  were  David,  St.  Patrick,  Captain  Sellick,  B. 
F.  Bruce,  Frank  Saylor,  Dan  Bassett  and  Marian  H., 
but  all  they  did  from  a  racing  standpoint  was  to  con- 
tribute their  entrance  towards  the  payment  of  the 
purse. 

When  the  horses  scored  for  the  word,  to  the  con- 
sternation of  Turner  and  the  Western  brigade,  it  was 
found  that  Hannis  was  completely  "tied  up"  and 
could  not  get  into  his  stride.  At  the  word  Murphy 
rushed  to  the  front  with  Lady  Pritchard  and  won  the 
heat  in  2 127,  with  Hannis  struggling  along  near  the 
distance  stand.  Mace  won  the  second  heat  with 
Sheridan  in  2 123,  Hannis  being  still  in  the  rear  and 
in  distress.  At  this  point  the  Eastern  brigade  was 
jubilant,  Mace  bright  and  witty  and  Turner  storm- 
ing over  a  bad  start  and  the  condition  of  his  horse. 
Mace  won  the  third  heat  in  2  '.2$l/2  after  a  finish  that 
showed  him  Hannis  was  still  in  the  race.  At  the 
half  Hannis  was  struggling  along  in  the  rear  when  he 
suddenly  regained  his  stride  and  speed.  From  that 
point  he  acted  like  a  trotter  and  picked  up  every  horse 
in  the  race  except  Sheridan,  the  latter  winning  by  a 
head.  This  unexpected  awakening  put  a  crimp  in 
Mace's  wit  and  when  Hannis  stepped  by  him  at  the 
half  in  the  fourth  heat  he  pulled  into  Turner  and  took 
a  couple  of  spokes  out  of  one  of  his  wheels.  Fortu- 
nately Hannis  never  faltered  and  won  the  heat  in 
2:22%  and  the  next  two  in  2:24^4,  2:26^4.  John 


HANNIS   IN    '79.  47 

Murphy,  by  winning  the  first  heat  with  Lady  Pritch- 
ard,  saved  the  race  for  Turner. 

Dan  Mace  had  a  bit  of  sweet  revenge  the  same 
season  when  he  met  Turner  and  Hannis  at  Pough- 
keepsie  with  Prospero.  Before  reaching  that  point 
Hannis  won  his  engagements  at  Buffalo,  Rochester, 
and  Utica,  where  he  cut  his  record  to  2:21  in  a  race 
with  Sheridan,  Lady  Pritchard,  Roman  Chief  and  W. 
H.  Arnold.  At  the  Hudson  River  Driving  Park,  May 
Bird,  Frank,  Lady  Pritchard  and  Lady  Snell  were 
named  to  start  against  the  Messenger  Duroc  gelding 
and  Hannis.  Frank  picked  up  the  first  heat  in  2  :2O, 
after  which  Mace  scored  twice  with  Prospero  in 
2\2iy2,  2:20.  The  next  heat  went  to  May  Bird  in 
2 122^  and  the  deciding  mile  to  Prospero  in  2 122. 
Hannis  saved  his  entrance,  but  at  Hartford  the  fol- 
lowing week  he  turned  the  tables  on  the  same  pair 
and  won  in  2  :i9^4- 

After  a  skip  in  1878,  his  only  start  that  season  be- 
ing in  a  race  with  Nettie  at  Woodbury,  N.  J.,  on  the 
Fourth  of  July,  Hannis  was  in  1879  dropped  into  the 
Michigan  circuit,  where  he  trotted  second  to  Proteine 
at  Jackson,  Saginaw  and  Toledo.  After  winning  at 
Cincinnati  and  Louisville  he  was  pointed  for  the  "big 
ring"  but  failed  to  make  good  as  on  the  trip  down 
the  line  he  was  third  to  Bonesetter  at  Chicago,  un- 
placed to  Darby  at  Buffalo,  third  to  Bonesetter  at 
Rochester  and  third  to  Darby  at  Utica.  After  a 
month's  let-up  Hannis  won  over  Steve  Maxwell  and 
Fmma  B.  at  Mystic  Park,  Boston,  and  divided  the 
purse  with  Driver  and  Dick  Swiveller  in  an  un- 
finished race  at  Beacon  Park.  He  also  won  a  stallion 
race  from  Thorndale  at  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn,  de- 


48  THE  GENERA!,. 

feated  Jersey  Boy,  Steve  Maxwell  and  Neli  at 
Providence,  while  Scotland  had  too  much  speed  for 
him  at  the  Mount  Holly  fair,  and  Charley  Ford  raced 
away  from  him  and  Driver  at  Washington. 

The  campaign  of  1880  has  been  referred  to.  Be- 
fore leaving  Philadelphia  that  spring  Hannis  won  a 
race  at  Suffolk  Park  and  was  defeated  by  both  Driver 
and  Ettie  Jones  at  Point  Breeze.  After  winning  two 
races  in  straight  heats  with  Hannis  at  the  Prospect 
Park  spring  meeting,  Turner  shipped  to  Michigan, 
where  he  met  Charley  Ford  and  lost  to  him  at 
Jackson,  Toledo  and  Cincinnati.  This,  together  with 
the  showing  made  by  Hannis  in  his  race  with  Monroe 
Chief  on  the  opening  day  of  the  Chicago  meeting, 
when  he  was  beaten  in  2:21^,  2:20^/2,  2:20^,  after 
winning  two  heats  in  2:24^,  2:21^,  convinced  the 
Charley  Ford  people  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  Turner  and  his  pony.  They  accordingly  backed 
their  horse  and,  as  has  been  related,  lost  their  money. 
On  the  trip  east  Hannis  was  defeated  at  Cleveland  and 
Buffalo  by  Maud  S.,  was  third  to  Driver  at  Rochester, 
won  his  last  race  at  Springfield  and  made  his  record 
of  2:17^4  in  the  fourth  heat  at  Hartford,  where  after 
winning  two  heats  and  making  a  dead  heat  he  was 
beaten  by  Charley  Ford. 

In  1881  Hannis  was  one  of  the  starters  in  the 
$10,000  stallion  race  trotted  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on 
July  4.  It  was  spun  out  for  seven  heats,  France's 
Alexander  finally  winning  it,  with  Robert  McGregor 
second,  Santa  Claus  third  and  Hannis  a  non-heat  win- 
ner, saving  his  entrance.  Before  going  there  he  had 
trotted  fourth  to  Voltaire  at  Jackson,  was  defeated 
by  Robert  McGregor  at  Detroit  and  Saginaw  and  dis- 


EDWIN   THORNE.  49 

tanced  by  Midnight  at  Toledo.  Hannis  was  also 
started  in  the  $6,000  stallion  race  at  Chicago,  where  he 
took  the  word  with  Wedgewood,  Santa  Claus,  Pied- 
mont, Robert  McGregor  and  Monroe  Chief.  He  also 
saved  his  entrance  in  this  event,  Piedmont  winning  it 
after  Robert  McGregor  had  been  awarded  two  heats 
and  Santa  Claus  one.  After  skipping  Cleveland  and 
Buffalo  Hannis  was  defeated  by  his  old  rival,  Charley 
Ford,  at  Rochester  and  Utica  and  took  the  word  for 
the  last  time  in  a  stallion  race  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New 
York,  September  21,  1881,  where  he  was  fourth  to 
Santa  Claus  in  2:20*4,  2:19^,  2:21,  with  Wedgewood 
second  and  Voltaire  third. 

Edwin  Thorne,  a  thrifty  Quaker  who  amassed  a 
fortune  in  "the  swamp"  in  New  York  and  retired  to  a 
farm  in  Duchess  county,  usually  sent  his  racing  ma- 
terial to  Turner,  as  the  man  from  Philadelphia  knew 
how  to  make  a  trotter  pay  his  way.  His  best  products 
were  Edwin  Thorne  and  Daisy  Dale,  both  of  which 
were  by  Thorndale.  They  proved  a  great  pair  of 
money  makers.  Turner  did  not  strive  to  give  them 
fast  records,  but  he  did  do  considerable  thinking  when 
it  came  to  placing  them  where  they  could  win.  In 
1880  he  won  four  consecutive  races  with  Daisy  Dale 
and  gave  her  a  record  of  2:39^  at  Buffalo.  He  had 
Edwin  Thorne  the  following  year.  Picking  up  a  race 
in  Detroit  in  June  he  did  not  win  again  until  the  Grand 
Circuit  opened  at  Cleveland,  where  he  disposed  of  Vol- 
taire and  Lucy,  trotting  one  heat  in  2  120^.  At  Buf- 
falo he  trotted  a  sixth  heat  in  2:19^4,  and  at  Rochester 
he  finished  the  last  three  heats  of  a  six-heat  race  with 
Kate  Sprague,  J.  B.  Thomas  and  Pilot  R.  in  2:20, 
2:19^,  2:25.  He  also  won  again  at  Utica,  and  landed 
another  event  on  the  first  day  at  Hartford. 


50  THE  GENERAL. 

The  big  chestnut  gelding  was  also  entered  in  the 
2  :2i  class  at  this  meeting,  the  other  probable  starters 
being  Piedmont,  Lucy,  Voltaire,  Emma  B.,  Steve  Max- 
well, who  had  been  an  absentee  all  the  year,  Hamble- 
tonianMambrino  and  Dan  Smith.  Peter  V.Johnson  had 
Piedmont  and  he  had  been  so  successful  that  almost 
everyone  considered  him  invincible.  Piedmont  had 
started  in  at  Chicago,  where  he  defeated  Robert  Mc- 
Gregor, Hannis,  Wedgewood,  Santa  Claus  and  Mon- 
roe Chief,  trotting  the  last  three  heats  of  a  six-heat 
contest  in  2:17^,  2:18,  2:21.  There  was  nothing  in 
his  class  to  force  him  to  a  drive  at  Cleveland,  Buffalo, 
Rochester  or  Utica,  and  as  the  same  kind  of  an  event 
was  expected  at  Hartford,  T.  O.  King,  the  Secretary 
of  Charter  Oak  Park,  asked  all  of  the  other  nominators 
in  the  2  121  classes  if  they  would  agree  to  give  Pied- 
mont one-half  of  the  purse  for  a  special  and  race  it  out 
among  themselves  for  the  balance.  Turner  alone  ob- 
jected, as  he  felt  that  he  could  win  second  money  with 
Edwin  Thorne  and  also  have  a  chance  for  first,  as  he 
knew  that  Piedmont  was  "short"  on  account  of  the 
easy  races  he  had  had  during  the  preceding  four  weeks. 

When  the  race  was  called  the  betting  was  Pied- 
mont $50,  field  $8.  In  the  first  heat  Thorne  led  to  the 
quarter  in  34%  seconds  with  Piedmont,  who  was  a 
slow  beginner,  two  lengths  away.  He  was  at  the 
gelding's  shoulder  at  the  half  in  i  :OQ  and  had  a  length 
to  spare  as  they  swept  around  the  upper  turn.  In  the 
stretch  Edwin  Thorne  closed  with  the  stallion  and  had 
him  under  the  whip  at  the  distance,  Turner  taunting 
Johnston  with  the  remark  "hit  him,  Peter,"  as  he 
stepped  by  and  won  by  a  length  in  2:17^2.  In  the 
second  heat  Voltaire  rushed  away  in  front,  but  fell 


SHEARING  THE   LAMBS.  51 

back  before  Edwin  Thome  passed  the  quarter  in  34*4 
seconds.  Piedmont  had  worked  his  way  up  to  the  lead- 
er's wheel  when  the  half  was  called  in  1 109  and  was  at 
his  neck  when  they  passed  the  three-quarter  pole  in 
1 144^2,  but  not  being  legged  up  for  such  a  prolonged 
flight  of  speed  so  near  his  limit,  Piedmont  fell  away  on 
the  trip  to  the  wire,  Edwin  Thorne  winning  in  2:18^2. 

The  third  heat  was  a  scorcher.  Piedmont  lay  at 
Thome's  wheel  to  the  quarter  in  35  seconds  and  half 
in  i  :o8^4.  On  the  stable  turn  the  gelding  broke  and 
lost  three  lengths,  but  came  so  fast  after  he  caught 
that  Piedmont  had  but  a  length  to  spare  when  he 
passed  the  next  quarter  pole  in  1 143^.  At  the  dis- 
tance Johnston  drew  his  whip,  which  he  had  not  used 
on  Piedmont  from  the  race  at  Chicago  in  July.  Down 
it  came  on  the  stallion,  who  was  straining  every  nerve. 
As  it  stung  him  he  faltered,  while  Turner  tapped 
Thorne  lightly  and  landed  him  the  winner  by  a  neck 
in  2:18^.  Of  this  race  the  "Turf,  Field  and  Farm"  said: 
"Piedmont's  supporters  were  confident  that  he  would 
win  in  straight  heats.  They  forgot  that  Edwin  Thorne 
had  a  general  behind  him — a  general  whose  tactics  are 
always  bewildering.  Turner  keeps  his  own  counsel, 
and  when  he  hits  the  boys  he  doubles  them  up  as  if 
they  had  been  kicked  by  forty  mules.  He  feels  of  his 
own  horse  and  those  trotted  against  him  and  when  he 
is  confident  that  he  has  a  winner  he  does  not  babble  to 
the  winds.  He  quietly  pockets  the  good  things  and 
goes  about  his  business  with  the  meekness  of  a  lamb." 

Edwin  Thorne  and  Clingstone  were  the  stars  of  the 
Grand  Circuit  in  1882.  The  Rysdyk  gelding  won  at 
Cleveland,  where  he  trotted  to  a  record  of  2:14,  and 
again  at  Buffalo,  where  he  drew  outside  position  and 


52  THE   GENERAL. 

won  the  first  heat  by  a  nose  in  2:143/4.  At  Rochester 
the  Thorndale  gelding  won  a  heat,  but  Turner  was  not 
ready.  His  day  came  at  Hartford,  where  Clingstone 
was  foaled  and  developed  and  where  every  man, 
woman  and  child  believed  that  no  man  had  a  horse 
that  could  take  the  measure  of  "the  demon  trotter." 
In  the  first  heat  of  the  race  Thorne  made  a  break  inside 
the  distance  and  Clingstone  won  in  2:17  amid  cheers 
that  could  be  heard  to  the  top  of  Talcott  Mountain. 
On  the  next  trip  Clingstone  was  carried  to  a  break 
before  he  reached  the  quarter  pole  and  Saunders'  effort 
to  close  the  gap  took  all  the  trot  out  of  him,  Thorne 
winning  that  heat  as  he  pleased  in  2:17,  and  the  next 
two  without  being  extended  in  2:21^4,  2:21. 

Turner  had  another  gala  day  at  Hartford  in  1888 
when  he  stripped  Spofford  for  the  Charter  Oak  Stake. 
During  the  winter  months  of  that  year  a  couple  of  gen- 
tlemen, neither  of  whom  were  very  fond  of  the  "Gen- 
eral," made  an  effort  to  have  the  training  quarters  of 
the  Kentucky  Prince  gelding  transferred  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Ohio.  J.  B.  Houston,  the  owner  of  the 
horse,  was  interviewed  and  all  kinds  of  pulls  and  com- 
binations rung  in  to  get  the  black  gelding  from  under 
the  Philadelphia  man's  eye.  As  the  horse  had  paid 
his  way  under  Turner's  management  Mr.  Houston  de- 
cided not  to  make  a  change  and  eventually  told  Turner 
of  the  move.  It  made  him  very  bitter,  as  he  had 
worked  for  two  years  with  Spofford  in  the  hope  of 
catching  him  right  and  making  a  killing,  and  as  luck 
would  have  it  the  day  came  that  season. 

In  July,  when  the  time  came  to  "pop  the  question" 
to  Spofford,  Turner  found  that  he  was  very  fast,  far 
and  away  beyond  the  record  with  which  he  retired 


SPOFFORD'S  CHARTER  OAK.  53 

from  the  turf  after  having  been  campaigned  over  half 
of  Europe  and  part  of  South  America.  This  good 
showing  had  a  dark  side,  as  his  trainer  began  to  be 
troubled  with  a  kind  of  malarial  fever  and  was  forced 
to  employ  others  to  give  his  horses  their  fast  work. 
At  Cleveland,  Spofford  stole  away  from  Gus  Wilson 
and  trotted  a  third  mile  close  to  2:16,  and  did  it  so 
easily  that  those  who  timed  it  would  scarcely  believe 
their  watches.  One  morning  at  Rochester,  Spofford 
brushed  away  from  Doble  and  trotted  a  quarter  in 
thirty-two  seconds.  Turner  saw  it  and  turned  pale,  as 
the  horse  had  won  a  seven-heat  race  at  Buffalo  the 
week  before.  Thornless  defeated  him  at  Rochester, 
and  after  an  easy  race  at  Utica,  where  he  won,  Spof- 
ford was  shipped  to  Hartford  to  be  drawn  to  an  edge 
for  the  Charter  Oak  Stake.  From  the  hour  of  his 
arrival  until  the  race  was  called  one  or  two  men 
were  in  the  stall  with  the  horse  night  and  day. 
Turner  boarded  near  the  track,  was  at  the  stable  by 
daybreak,  and  never  left  it  until  nightfall.  He 
watched  the  horse  in  his  work,  fast  and  slow,  as 
closely  as  a  mother  does  a  favorite  child,  and  brought 
him  to  the  wire  ready  to  trot  for  his  life. 

Charter  Oak  Stake  day  was  a  memorable  one  in 
Turner's  history.  Never  was  the  green  cap  donned 
with  as  much  determination  and  never,  since  May 
Queen  and  Nettie  were  in  their  glory,  did  the  man  who 
developed  Edwin  Thorne,  Daisy  Dale  and  Hannis 
appear  to  such  advantage,  as  each  heat  was  won  in  the 
stretch,  with  a  dash  that  electrified  the  spectators  and 
drew  rounds  of  applause  from  the  New  York  delega- 
tion in  the  boxes  back  of  the  press  stand.  Each  finish 
showed  the  skill  of  a  master  hand.  Erect,  alert  and 


54  THE   GENERAI,. 

confident,  knowing  what  he  was  doing  all  of  the  time, 
and  what  a  few  of  the  others  were  doing  some  of  the 
time,  he  marched  on  to  victory.  For  a  time  it  looked 
as  if  everything  was  against  Turner.  Thornless 
fouled  him  in^the  third  heat  and  when  scoring  for  the 
fourth  he  locked  wheels  with  Kit  Curry,  was  thrown 
out  and  his  sulky  wrecked.  Fortunately  Spofford  did 
not  get  away,  and  with  a  new  sulky  behind  him  trotted 
the  last  quarter  of  the  deciding  heat  in  thirty-two  and 
one-half  seconds,  a  flight  which  showed  the  amount  of 
speed  that  Turner  had  in  reserve. 

After  the  dust  of  battle  had  blown  away  and  con- 
gratulations were  being  mingled  with  the  sparkle  of 
champagne  and  lemonade  for  those  who  asked  for  it, 
Turner  between  the  puffs  of  a  cigar  in  a  Manilla 
wrapper  said,  with  a  quiet  chuckle:  "Mr.  Houston, 
which  would  you  rather  do,  win  two  or  three  thousand 
dollar  purses  or  one  ten  thousand  ?"  At  such  a  time  it 
was  not  necessary  to  remember  the  answer. 

Suisun  succeeded  Spofford  in  Turner's  stable,  and 
it  is  a  question  if  he  ever  hated  anything  on  earth  more 
than  that  mare.  She  was  a  disappointment  from  one 
end  of  her  career  to  the  other.  As  for  speed,  she  had 
plenty  of  it,  but  somehow  she  never  could  win  when 
due,  and  was  always  popping  up  when  not  wanted. 
While  he  had  the  Electioneer  mare  in  his  stable, 
Turner  also  rejuvenated  Harry  Wilkes  and  shaped 
Rosaline  Wilkes  for  a  number  of  winnings.  In  1891 
he  had  Abbie  V.  and  Happy  Bee  as  stars  and  was  one 
of  the  heaviest  winners  of  the  season.  The  Happy 
Russell  filly  was  good  enough  to  win  the  Flower  City 
Stake  at  Rochester  after  she  had  been  uncovered  at 
Cleveland  and  a  $5,000  event  at  Springfield.  The  fol- 


TURNER'S  METHODS.  55 

lowing  season  Happy  Bee  failed  to  connect.  Rosaline 
Wilkes  showed  that  her  racing  days  were  over,  and  a 
couple  of  other  buds  failed  to  bloom  when  the  rays  of 
the  Grand  Circuit  sun  hit  them  in  August.  Abbie  V. 
also  failed  to  win  when  expected.  She  showed  that 
she  carried  the  stout  blood  of  Aberdeen,  but  somehow 
when  pinched  the  Peavine  combination  in  her  dam 
made  the  cogs  jump  when  not  expected. 

Having  risen  from  the  ranks,  Turner  was  a  master 
of  every  detail  in  a  racing  stable.  He  favored  kind- 
ness to  punishment  and  on  that  account  never  carried 
a  heavy  whip  when  working  a  horse  or  in  a  race.  He 
taught  his  horses  to  do  their  best  at  the  word  or  a  light 
tap,  and  from  the  day  that  he  was  high  enough  in  the 
profession  to  reject  a  horse  he  would  not  train  one  that 
pulled.  When  settled  in  his  seat  for  a  hard  drive, 
Turner  was  as  erect  as  a  field  marshal  on  dress  parade. 
There  was  no  give  or  take  to  him.  He  had  no  time  to 
look  around  to  see  what  the  other  fellow  was  doing, 
but  sat  there  steadying  his  horse,  confident  that  the 
nag  knew  what  was  wanted.  Age  did  not  change  him 
a  trifle  in  this  particular,  many  of  his  best  finishes 
being  driven  the  season  he  retired  from  active  racing. 

While  identified  with  racing  John  E.  Turner  made 
more  clever  remarks  than  half  of  the  men  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  being  equipped  with  what  Sam  Slick,  the 
Yankee  Clockmaker,  termed  the  two  great  requisites 
of  life,  a  knowledge  of  "human  natur"  and  a  supply 
of  "soft  sodder,"  he  whisked  out  of  many  an  awkward 
situation.  Time  and  again  he  said  that  when  there 
was  something  doing  the  judges  rarely  said  a  word  to 
him,  but  when  he  was  trying  they  were  very  apt  to 
bother  him.  On  one  occasion  when  the  judges  com- 


56  THE   GENERAL. 

plained  of  a  drive,  which  to  say  the  least  was  not  very 
vigorous,  the  "General"  walked  into  the  stand  and 
said:  "Gentlemen,  there  is  my  whip/'  They  told 
him  to  go  on,  but  there  was  no  change  in  the  mode  of 
procedure. 

At  the  Cleveland  fall  meeting  in  1892  Abbie  V.  was 
considered  good  with  nothing  to  bother  her.  After 
she  had  won  the  first  heat  the  Lucas  Broadhead  geld- 
ing Prince  M.,. which  was  considered  a  back  number, 
showed  her  the  way  to  the  wire.  In  the  third  heat 
Abbie  V.  cut  off  Prince  M.  at  the  head  of  the  stretch, 
almost  literally  "nailing  him  to  the  fence."  It  was  a 
deliberate  foul.  All  of  the  spectators  saw  it  and  made 
many  uncomplimentary  remarks.  As  soon  as  the 
heat  was  finished  and  before  the  judges  could  take 
action  Turner  rushed  into  the  stand  and  said :  "Judges, 
I  fouled  Prince  M.  You  could  all  see  it.  I  should  not 
have  done  it  and  I  should  be  at  least  placed  last  for 
what  I  did."  Turner's  apparent  earnestness  brushed 
the  frown  from  Col.  Edwards'  face,  and  when  he  said 
"John,  you  are  old  enough  to  know  better.  Do  not 
repeat  it,"  Turner  left  the  stand  without  making  a 
reply.  He  had  gained  his  point.  Abbie  V.  was  placed 
last.  Prince  M.  was  never  dangerous  during  the  bal- 
ance of  the  race,  which  was  won  by  Abbie  V.  The 
money  was  down  on  her.  What  was  done  to  Prince 
M.,  did  you  say?  That  is  another  story. 

With  John  E.  Turner  life  has  always  had  a  bright 
side,  as  his  careful  methods  and  thrifty  habits  deterred 
him  from  trusting  to  luck  in  the  hazardous  business 
which  he  followed  for  a  living.  No  one  ever  accused 
him  of  giving  up  a  bird  for  two  in  the  bush.  The 
"General"  was  looking  for  longer  odds  and  at  the  same 


A  SPRIG   OF   ADVICE.  57 

time  planning  to  offset  wjiat  he  termed  a  "severe 
week"  with  a  better  one  further  down  the  line.  That 
he  never  had  any  trouble  with  the  turf  officials  other 
than  those  created  by  temper,  the  usual  failing  of  the 
impulsive  sons  of  Erin,  speaks  well  for  him,  and  that 
he  raced  horses  year  after  year  for  the  same  owners 
shows  that  he  lived  up  to  a  sprig  of  advice  which  he 
gave  a  young  driver  who  was  in  trouble.  It  was, 
"never  deceive  an  owner." 

Turner  is  one  of  the  few  living  men  who  watched 
the  2  130  list  grow  from  a  handful  to  thousands,  who 
can  remember  when  a  2 130  horse  was  a  star  and  a  2 :2O 
horse  a  wonder,  and  who  kept  up  with  the  procession 
gathering  in  as  he  marched  by  his  share  of  the  world's 
goods  until  he  decided  to  retire  from  the  sulky  and 
spend  the  balance  of  his  days  under  the  shade  trees  at 
Ambler  Park  with  an  occasional  visit  to  the  tracks  on 
which  he  was  at  one  time  an  important  factor. 


OINEY  O'SHEA. 


They  said  she  had  speed — I  believed  them, 

And  made  a  swell  bet  in  the  book. 
When  she  finished, — well,  you  should  have  seen  her, 

Although  she  was  not  worth  a  look. 
They  took  her  home  for  the  winter, 

And  gave  her  the  best  in  the  barn, 
And  now  all  they  have  to  show  for  it, 
Are  the  bills  and  an  old  stable  yarn. 

Oiney  O'Shea  was  a  resident  of 
Irishtown.  His  three  brothers, 
Mickey,  Terry  and  Paddy,  were 
located  on  adjoining-  farms.  All 
of  them  were  well-to-do,  as  the 
term  went  in  that  section,  and  all 
of  them  were  hard-working,  honest 

CONQUERING   BILLY.  ,  -T^,  P  111 

people.  The  four  had  the  repu- 
tation of  never  missing  a  fair  or  a  horse  race  for  miles 
around,  and  it  was  a  sorry  day  when  they  failed  to 
have  a  "bit  of  blood"  to  sport  the  green  cap,  which  was 
the  colors  of  the  quartette. 

Irishtown  cannot  be  found  on  the  map.  It  was 
applied  to  a  bunch  of  farms  near  Oxford  Station  in  the 
County  of  Grenville.  Every  man  in  it  was  supposed 
to  have  come  from  the  Emerald  Isle,  some  of  them 
leaving  it,  as  Oiney  would  say  when  feeling  his  oats, 
"for  their  country's  good,"  while  others,  to  use  the 
western  term,  "emigrated  for  their  health."  It  was 
understood  that  the  O'Sheas  were  identified  with  one 
of  the  upheavals  which  are  so  prevalent  in  Ireland,  but 


OINEY   AT   HOME. 

"the  b'ys,"  as  they  were  called,  never  dropped  a  word 
on  the  subject,  possibly  because  they  were  under 
the  British  fla.g  and  were  still  afraid  of  spies,  or  there 
may  have  been  nothing  in  it. 

A  galloping  horse  was  the  pride  of  Oiney  O'Shea's 
heart,  and  if  he  would  "lep,"  as  he  termed  it,  so  much 
the  better.  Oiney  was  the  smallest  of  the  four  broth- 
ers and  could,  at  the  time  I  first  met  him,  ride  under 
eight  stone.  His  face  was  thin  and  peaked,  you  might 
say  on  the  hatchet  order,  while  his  unusual  length  of 
limb  gave  him  the  same  grip  on  a  horse  as  that  which 
made  Fred  Archer  famous.  On  the  ground,  Oiney  cut 
a  very  sorry  figure,  as  he  was  narrow-chested  and  had  a 
long,  thin  neck,  in  which  the  cords  stood  out  like  ropes 
on  the  rigging  of  a  ship,  while  his  hair,  at  one  time  red, 
was  sprinkled  with  gray  and  worn  rather  long. 
When  he  threw  his  leg  over  a  horse  you  would  not 
have  known  him.  His  seat  was  that  natural,  easy, 
jaunty  style  which  comes  to  a  man  who  is  born  for  the 
saddle,  and  when  in  motion  he  and  the  horse  moved 
as  one.  When  at  home  there  was  nothing  Oiney  de- 
lighted in  more  than  skipping  across  country.  When 
out  on  one  of  those  "larks,"  as  he  called  them,  Oiney 
was  never  known  to  open  a  gate  or  lower  the  bars. 
With  him  it  was  "up  and  over  it,  my  boy,"  and  then 
off  for  a  scurry  down  a  lane  or  up  the  road.  Between 
two  of  the  O'Shea  farms  there  was  a  wide  lane  that 
ran  from  one  concession  to  another.  This  made  it 
one  mile.  On  this  lane  Oiney  trained  their  race 
horses.  The  other  brothers  worked  in  the  fields  doing 
Oiney's  work  as  well  as  their  own  whenever  he  was 
busy  with  the  "ponies,"  and  you  can  depend  upon  it 
they  were  never  short  of  work. 


60  OINEY  O'SHKA. 

While  in  Ireland,  Oiney  had  learned  that  every 
horse  has  his  distance  and  that  it  is  very  rare  to  find 
one  that  was  swift  on  the  flat  and  at  the  same  time 
clever  at  cross  country  work,  but  he  managed  to  keep 
one  or  two  of  both  and  at  the  same  time  make  them 
pay  for  their  keep.  The  average  man  looks  on  a  race 
horse  as  a  very  useless  piece  of  property,  and  he  is  if 
not  trained  for  what  he  is  bred — that  is,  racing.  In 
what  was  then  known  as  Upper  Canada,  thoroughbred 
stallions  were  found  to  be  very  good  property, 
as  after  the  farmers  learned  that  they  could  cross  their 
farm  mares  with  them  and  get  saddlers,  hunters,  and 
in  some  cases,  horses  that  could  sprint  like  all  pos- 
sessed for  half  a  mile  and  sometimes  three-quarters, 
they  were  willing  to  breed  to  them.  The  O'Sheas 
knew  that  when  they  landed  on  this  side  of  the  At- 
lantic, and  being  the  first  in  the  field  they,  for  years, 
gathered  in  many  a  dollar  from  buyers  for  stock  that 
could  not  go  fast  enough  to  race  and  at  the  same  time 
managed  to  sweep  the  boards  at  the  county  fairs  with 
those  that  could.  You  will  not  find  the  breeding  of 
any  of  their  stock  in  the  Stud  Book,  for  while  they  at 
different  times  had  both  thoroughbred  stallions  and 
mares  and  raised  colts  from  them,  they  never  went  to 
the  trouble  of  having  them  recorded.  In  the  O'Shea 
family  the  stamp  of  excellence  in  a  horse  rested  on  his 
racing  qualities.  That  was  the  beginning  and  the  end 
of  it.  Oiney  took  charge  of  those  that  would  race, 
while  those  that  did  not  come  up  to  expectations  were 
turned  to  the  plough  or  hay  wagon  until  a  buyer  put  in 
an  appearance. 

I  became  acquainted  with  Oiney  O'Shea  in  a  very 
peculiar  manner.  One  afternoon  in  the  early  seven- 


MIKE   FU)YD.  61 

ties,  while  walking  along  a  lonely  back  road,  I 
stumbled  on  one  man,  two  boys  and  two  horses.  I 
knew  the  man  by  sight.  His  name  was  Mike  Floyd. 
Locally  he  was  known  as  a  sporting  character  and  a 
rough  and  tumble  fighter.  He  was  by  no  means  a 
desirable  acquaintance  after  he  had  had  a  "drop  or 
two."  At  such  times  nothing  pleased  him  more  than  an 
opportunity  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  some  one.  In  his 
younger  days  this  man  Floyd  had  been  mixed  up  in  a 
shooting  fray  and  before  he  was  about  again  the  doc- 
tors had  amputated  one  of  his  arms  below  the  elbow. 
In  after  life  this  stub  of  an  arm  was  his  defence  in 
whatever  little  differences  he  might  have  with  the 
flotsam  and  jetsam  of  the  public  that  crossed  his  path. 
Ducking  his  head  he  would  swing  half  round  and  with 
the  stub  of  an  arm  ram  his  opponent.  The  only  way 
to  escape  a  knockout  was  to  side-step,  and  as  Floyd 
was  as  quick  as  a  flash,  it  took  a  very  clever  man  to 
evade  him. 

The  pride  of  Mike  Floyd's  life  was  a  little  chestnut 
mare  named  Maud.  She  was  as  pretty  as  a  picture 
and  could  out  run  any  horse  in  that  county  at  any  dis- 
tance up  to  a  half  mile.  She  had  been  to  Ottawa, 
Kingston  and  Prescott,  and  I  have  been  told  that  she 
had  also  been  over  to  the  'burg,  the  local  name  for  Og- 
densburg,  and  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  she  had  never 
been  beaten.  Floyd,  when  he  was  at  home,  which 
was  very  seldom,  lived  on  a  farm  near  a  place  called 
Bishop's  Mills,  and  the  fame  of  Maud  was  so  well 
established  in  all  that  section  that  it  was  as  much  as  a 
man's  life  was  worth  to  even  hint  at  some  one  getting 
a  horse  that  could  lower  her  colors.  Horse  after  horse 
had  been  brought  in  with  that  object  in  view,  but 
Maud  still  remained  the  pride  of  the  county. 


62  OINEY   O'SHEA. 

Maud  was  one  of  the  horses  that  Floyd  and  the 
two  boys  had  on  the  lonely  road.  I  afterwards 
learned  that  the  other  horse  was  Claret  by  Reporter, 
out  of  the  Vandal  mare  Seven  Oaks.  He  was  a  blocky 
built  bay  horse  almost  a  brown,  standing  a  shade  over 
fifteen  hands,  with  the  tidy,  hardy  look  which  is  found 
in  horses  that  will  stand  all  kinds  of  care  and  grow 
fat  on  it.  Before  I  arrived  Maud  and  Claret  had  run 
a  trial  of  five  furlongs  and  the  boys  were  getting  ready 
to  mount  for  another  trip  over  the  road  when  I  came 
up.  Maud  had,  for  some  reason,  not  run  to  suit  her 
owner,  and  as  he  did  not  have  any  objection  to  my 
seeing  the  pair  gallop,  I  climbed  up  on  the  fence  to  see 
the  heat.  The  pair  trotted  down  the  road  until  they 
came  to  a  slight  raise  of  ground  and  from  which  they 
could  be  distinctly  seen  by  anyone  standing  on  the 
fence  or,  for  that  matter,  on  the  bank  at  the  side  of  the 
road.  Floyd  walked  down  the  road  to  a  place  that  I 
afterwards  learned  was  measured  as  half  a  mile  from 
the  foot  of  the  hill.  As  the  horses  wheeled  in  the  dis- 
tance I  saw  him  wave  his  hat  and  then  drop  it.  As  it 
fell  a  little  cloud  of  dust  in  the  distance  showed  that 
the  pair  started  and  in  a  few  moments  I  saw  them 
coming  towards  us.  The  boy  on  Maud  was  in  his 
shirt  sleeves,  while  Claret's  rider  wore  a  black  jacket. 
As  they  approached  the  place  where  Floyd  stood,  I 
could  see  that  Maud  was  in  front  and  galloping  very 
freely,  but  as  soon  as  she  passed  him  she  seemed  to  shut 
up  like  a  jack-knife,  while  Claret,  with  his  ears  laying 
flat  on  his  neck  and  mouth  open,  swept  by  her  like 
a  thunderbolt,  his  rider  doing  his  utmost  to  stop  him. 

Maud  did  not  appear  to  be  distressed  when  she 
pulled  up,  and  after  taking  a  couple  of  long  breaths,  she 


THE  TRIAL 


63 


blew  out  very  nicely.  As  the  boy  slipped  the  saddle 
off  her  she  rubbed  him  with  her  nose  and  whinnied. 
Floyd  patted  her  on  the  neck  and  called  her  "Old  Gal," 
but  his  face  was  as  black  as  thunder.  As  the  two  boys 
led  the  horses  up  and  down  the  road  he  got  in  between 
them.  They  conversed  in  low  tones.  I  could  not 
hear  what  they  said,  and  for  that  matter  did  not  wish 
to,  as  up  to  that  point  all  the  interest  I  took  in  the  pro- 
ceedings was  the  pleasure  in  seeing  two  horses  gallop 
at  racing  speed. 

In  about  twenty  minutes  the  boys  put  on  their 
saddles  again  and  mounted  for  another  heat.  Before 
starting  up  the  road  the  rider  of  Claret  said  to  Floyd, 
"If  that  were  my  mare  I  would  try  a  whip  or  spur  on 
her." 

"Why?"  said  Floyd. 

"Well,  I  think,"  said  the  boy,  "she  has  run  so  many 
races  at  half  a  mile  that  she  knows  the  distance  and 
will  not  try  after  she  goes  that  far.  She  was  not  tired 
when  she  came  back,  as  when  she  passed  you  she  had 
Claret  safe." 

"That  is  so,"  said  the  boy  on  Maud.  "I  have  rode 
her  I  do  not  know  how  many  races  and  I  have  never 
carried  a  whip  or  spur.  She  has  always  run  on  her 
courage." 

"I  do  not  doubt  that  a  bit,"  replied  Claret's  rider, 
"but  you  have  now  seen  twice  that  she  will  not  go 
after  half  a  mile  and  if  she  won't  go  in  her  work  she 
won't  do  it  in  a  race." 

"Do  not  be  too  sure  of  that,"  broke  in  Floyd. 
"When  she  sees  the  crowd  and  hears  the  shouting  she 
will  run  till  she  drops." 


64  OINEY  O'SHEA. 

"Well,  she  is  your  mare,"  said  Claret's  rider, 
"  and  you  can  do  what  you  please  with  her,  but  if  I 
were  in  your  place  I  would  see  what  a  switch  would 
do  on  her  when  she  wants  to  come  back.  I  was  taught 
to  learn  all  I  could  about  a  horse  before  getting  him 
into  a  race,  as  then  I  would  know  what  to  do  when 
pinched." 

"True  for  you,"  said  Floyd,  and  swinging  round  on 
his  heel  he  asked  me  to  cut  a  switch  from  a  clump  of 
bushes  that  stood  in  the  corner  of  a  snake  fence  about 
fifty  yards  below  the  half-mile  mark  on  the  road. 

Climbing  over  the  fence  I  approached  the  bushes 
from  the  field  side,  and  as  I  did  so,  my  heart  almost 
jumped  into  my  mouth  as  I  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a 
dead  man  lying  between  the  bushes  and  the  fence. 
He  was  watching  me  like  a  cat  watching  a  mouse.  As 
soon  as  I  caught  sight  of  him  he  put  his  finger  on  his 
lips  and  nodded.  He  did  not  offer  to  say  a  word  to 
me  nor  I  to  him.  After  selecting  a  switch  I  trimmed 
the  leaves  off  it,  hopped  over  the  fence  and  handed  it 
to  Floyd.  He  put  it  behind  his  back  and  slipped  it  up 
to  the  boy  on  Maud  without  her  noticing  it. 

The  third  heat  was  run  under  the  same  conditions 
as  the  second.  As  they  approached  a  tree  standing 
near  the  half  mile  mark,  the  boy  on  Maud  tapped  her 
lightly  with  the  switch.  She  came  away  from  it  like 
an  arrow  from  the  bow,  but  as  she  passed  the  half  she 
began  to  stop.  Then  he  struck  her  in  earnest,  and 
instead  of  scudding  on  after  Claret,  who  had  shot  by, 
she  swerved  and  almost  threw  him  in  the  ditch.  Then 
there  was  a  time.  The  boy  slipped  down  as  soon  as 
he  could,  while  Maud  acted  like  a  crazy  thing.  Her 
eyes  blazed  like  balls  of  fire,  while  she  lashed  out  when 


FOXY   OINEY.  65 

Floyd  came  near  her.  She  even  tried  to  strike  her 
rider  with  her  front  feet.  I  walked  away,  as  I  did  not 
care  to  hear  what  Floyd  had  to  say,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  three  men  and  the  two  horses  started 
down  the  road  towards  town.  As  they  disappeared 
around  a  corner  I  turned  towards  the  clump  of  bushes 
to  see  if  my  supposed  corpse  had  come  to  life.  In  a 
couple  of  minutes  this  individual,  in  a  jaunty  riding 
cap,  tweed  jacket,  riding  trousers  and  a  pair  of  top 
boots,  hopped  over  the  fence  and  came  towards  me. 
The  merry  twinkle  in  the  foxy  eyes  which  seemed  to 
flit  about  like  a  pair  of  fireflies  under  his  shaggy  brows, 
assured  me  that  there  was  nothing  to  fear,  while  the 
smile  on  his  wizened  face  told  plainer  than  words  that 
he  was  in  a  very  contented  frame  of  mind.  After 
looking  me  over  as  if  I  were  an  exhibit  at  a  fair,  he  re- 
marked in  a  rather  dry  sort  of  a  way,  "Well,  my  boy, 
did  they  gallop  to  suit  you?"  Not  knowing  what  he 
meant,  I  nodded  and  began  to  whistle. 

"No,  don't  do  that,"  said  the  man  in  the  jaunty  cap. 
"It  is  a  bad  sign.  The  wind  always  makes  a  noise  in 
a  hollow  tree.  You  are  a  bright  slip  of  a  boy,  but  I 
don't  know  you.  Where  do  you  live?" 

I  told  him  that  I  was  a  nephew  of  John  Flynn's  and 
had  arrived  that  day  week  on  a  visit. 

"Do  they  let  you  go  in  the  house?"  came  back  at 
me  as  quick  as  a  flash. 

"Yes,"  said  I  very  slowly,  as  I  recalled  only  too 
vividly  the  complaints  and  hints  that  were  made  by 
my  aunt  if  I  happened  to  make  a  mark  on  the  floor  or 
a  stain  on  the  table  cloth.  You  may  not  know  it,  but 
a  sensitive  boy  of  twelve  or  fourteen  notices  such  things 
and  by  them  makes  up  his  mind  as  to  whether  he  is 


66  OINEY   O'SHBA. 

welcome  or  not.  As  my  uncle  had  no  children  and  the 
help  were,  at  all  events  during  the  summer  months  (I 
was  never  there  at  any  other  time)  compelled  to  eat  in 
the  woodshed  and  sleep  in  the  barn,  I  found  their  com- 
pany more  enjoyable  than  that  of  my  aunt.  Uncle 
John  was  a  dear,  good  old  soul,  but  his  wife — well,  the 
least  said  the  better,  as  she  is  now  dust,  something  she 
could  not  tolerate  while  living. 

"And  do  you  know  who  I  am  ?"  was  the  next  ques- 
tion fired  at  me. 

This  put  me  at  my  ease,  as  here  was  a  chance  to  air 
my  local  knowledge,  and  I  told  him  that  he  was  Oiney 
O'Shea,  the  race  horse  man.  You  should  have  heard 
him  chuckle  when  I  said  it,  and  slapping  me  on  the 
back,  he  raised  me  to  the  seventh  heaven  of  delight  by 
saying  that  I  was  a  cute  lad  and  that  he  had  no  doubt 
I  would  one  day  be  nothing  short  of  a  Member  of  Par- 
liament, which  I  afterwards  learned  was,  in  his  eyes, 
the  limit  of  human  greatness. 

"And  your  name,"  said  Oiney,  "is  Charles,  is  it?" 

"No  I  did  not  say  that,"  I  replied.  "My  name  is 
Lawrence." 

"Ah,  but  that  is  music  in  my  ears,"  replied  Oiney,  as 
he  slipped  one  of  his  hands  into  his  pocket  and  with  a 
polite  bow,  wanted  to  know  if  it  would-  be  "Larry  for 
short." 

This  was  something  that  I  had  never  heard  of,  but 
supposed  it  would,  as  a  great  race  horse  man  like 
Oiney  O'Shea,  with  his  jaunty  air  and  cunning  look, 
must  know  everything,  or  at  least  I  thought  so. 

As  I  did  not  venture  to  reply  or  feel  able  to  make  a 
remark  of  any  kind,  Oiney  attracted  my  attention  by 
pulling  a  piece  of  silver  about  the  size  of  a  quarter 


THE    LUCKY    PENNY.  67 

from  his  pocket.  After  rubbing  it  between  his  hands 
a  few  times,  he  balanced  it  on  his  thumb  nail  and 
flipped  it  into  the  air.  When  it  fell  on  the  road  he 
picked  it  up  with  the  remark  "Heads  it  is.  That  bit 
always  wins,  as  it  has  a  head  on  each  side."  The 
laugh  that  followed  this  remark  seemed  to  start  down 
in  his  stomach  and  after  all  kinds  of  wriggles  and 
gyrations,  managed  to  pass  up  his  windpipe  into  the 
air.  Such  matters  were  new  to  me,  while  I  had  not 
the  slightest  idea  that  Oiney  was  doing  a  lot  of  think- 
ing on  his  own  account.  Something  bothered  him, 
but  it  did  not  require  very  much  tact  to  conceal  it  from 
a  slip  of  a  lad,  although  I  did  not  know  then  as  I  did 
after,  that  a  boy  frequently  makes  a  remark  which  ex- 
poses the  work  of  clever  men,  and  women,  too,  for. 
that  matter. 

"Larry,  my  boy,"  said  Oiney,  after  he  had  rubbed 
the  dust  from  the  silver  piece,  "do  you  see  that  piece 
of  money?"  I  nodde.d. 

"Well,  Larry,  that  is  a  lucky  penny.  So  long  as  I 
have  it,  it  brings  me  luck,  and  if  I  should  lose  it  there 
is  no  telling  what  might  happen." 

At  this  I  opened  my  eyes,  while  Oiney  continued: 

"That  penny  was  blessed  by  a  Bishop  in  Ireland, 
so  it  was,  my  lad,  and  it  has  been  on  the  eyes  of  more 
dead  men  than  I  have  hairs  on  my  head." 

I  did  hot  believe  that,  but  I  will  admit  that  I 
was  scared  as  Oiney  looked  at  me  when  he  finished  the 
remark,  as  if  he  were  going  to  pick  me  up  in  his  arms 
and  show  me  a  few  of  them. 

"Now,  Larry,  me  dear  little  spud,"  continued 
Oiney,  after  he  saw  I  was  back  to  earth  again,  "I  am 
going  home,  and  if  you  want  to  see  a  race  horse  that  is 
a  race  horse  gallop,  come  along  with  me." 


68  OINKY   O'SHEA. 

Would  I  go.  I  was  afraid  of  my  life  he  would 
leave  me,  but  Oiney  was  not  ready  to  start  yet. 
"You  must/'  said  he,  "run  over  to  your  uncle,  who  I 
see  working  in  the  field  yonder,  and  ask  him  if  you  can 
come.  Tell  him  you  have  been  asked  to  go  over  to 
O'Shea's  for  a  lark  with  the  lads  and  I  think  he'll 
say  yes." 

Inside  of  half  an  hour  I  was  seated  in  Oiney 
O'Shea's  spring  wagon,  rattling  over  the  road  towards 
the  center  of  Irishtown.  Oiney  O'Shea's  house  was  in 
a  straight  line  about  three  miles  from  Flynn's,  being  on 
the  second  concession  from  the  back  road  on  which 
Maud  and  Claret  ran,  while  their  houses  were  built  on 
the  opposite  end  of  the  farms,  the  O'Shea's  being  to- 
wards the  south,  while  Uncle  Flynn's  was  towards  the 
north.  Oiney  drove  home  through  the  lane  on  which 
he  told  me  he  galloped  his  horses,  and  that  I  would 
see  all  of  them  and  also  see  his  lads.  On  the  trip  up 
the  lane  he  stopped  and  went  .over  in  a  field  where 
three  men  were  hoeing  corn.  They  talked  for  some 
time  and  I  noticed  that  at  intervals  one  or  more  of 
them  turned  and  looked  at  me.  In  a  short  time  all  of 
them  walked  over  to  the  fence  and  I  then  learned  that 
they  were  Oiney's  three  brothers,  Mickey,  Terry  and 
Paddy,  or  as  no  doubt  a  parish  register  somewhere  in 
Ireland  showed,  Michael,  Terrence  and  Patrick,  while 
the  fourth  was  Owen.  Terry  ventured  the  remark 
that  I  would  have  to  stay  three  or  four  days.  That 
made  me  as  proud  as  a  peacock.  Just  think  of  it, 
almost  a  week  among  the  race  horses,  and  when  he  fol- 
lowed it  up  with  the  remark  that  he  would  see  Flynn 
and  tell  him,  I  would  not  have  traded  places  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales. 


SPANGLE.  69 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival  in  Irishtown,  I 
saw  my  first  gallop.  Oiney  (no  one,  not  even  his  chil- 
dren ever  dreamed  of  calling  him  by  any  other  name) 
was  up  and  out  before  the  peep  of  day.  I  heard  him 
talking  in  the  yard,  and  as  I  looked  out  of  the  window 
I  saw  him  ride  by  on  a  gray  horse.  The  gray  had 
nothing  on  him  but  a  rope  halter,  the  shank  of  which 
was  looped  through  his  mouth.  As  I  recall  the  horse 
he  was  a  ragged  built  gelding  with  a  big  head, 
long,  slim  ears  that  almost  touched  at  the  tips,  a  thin 
neck  and  a  capital  pair  of  shoulders  for  a  galloper. 
His  middle  piece  was  rather  light  for  the  spread  of  his 
quarters,  while  he  walked  with  that  pointed,  dainty 
step  that  stamped  him  in  my  mind  a  thoroughbred. 
As  Oiney  disappeared  in  a  bank  of  fog  which  hung  low 
over  the  end  of  the  lane,  I  slipped  into  my  clothes  and 
ran  out  into  the  yard,  where  I  met  Terry,  the  boy  I  had 
slept  with.  He  told  me  that  Oiney  had  taken  the  gray 
out  for  a  warming  up  gallop  arid  that  when  he  came 
in  they  were  going  to  work  him  with  Spangle. 
Spangle  was  a  big,  brown  horse  with  a  ragged  white 
strip  running  over  his  nose.  He  was  standing  with 
his  head  over  the  half  door  of  a  box  stall,  and  I  noticed 
that  he  pricked  up  his  ears  as  Terry  mentioned  his 
name. 

"Did  you  see  that,  Larry?"  said  Terry.  "Oh,  but 
they  are  a  knowing  lot.  Oiney  says  that  a  galloping 
horse  can  do  everything  but  talk  and  we  do  that  for 
them.  And  do  you  know,  I  believe  it.  It  would  make 
your  heart  rattle  to  see  that  one  go  over  a  sod  bank  or 
a  fence.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  speak  to  him  and  he 
is  up  and  over.  Darlin's  no  name  for  him.  But  he's 
sold  and  will  be  off  to  the  hurdles  and  steeple  chases 


70  OINEY   O'SHKA. 

the  last  of  the  week.  The  man  that  wants  him  is  to 
be  here  Friday  and  then  you  will  see  Spangle  go  'cross 
country  as  the  bird  flies."  Spangle  rubbed  his  nose 
against  Terry's  coat,  blinking  and  nodding  all  the  time 
just  as  if  he  knew  every  word  that  was  said,  and  when 
he  opened  the  stall  door  to  let  me  have  what  he  called 
"a  sight  of  him,"  the  horse  wheeled  and  stood  like  a 
soldier  on  parade.  Spangle  was  the  first  "cross  coun- 
try" horse  I  ever  put  my  eye  on,  and  as  first  impres- 
sions are  the  most  lasting,  I  have  never  forgotten  him. 
He  was  then  a  six-year-old,  standing  sixteen  hands 
full,  all  but  thoroughbred,  with  immense  bone  and  sub- 
stance, full  of  quality  and  as  clean  on  his  legs  as  the 
day  he  was  foaled.  Oiney  bred  him,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  he  told  me  that  "he  came  off  a  good  sort  of 
an  ould  mare,  as  good  as  gold,  by  trating  her  wid  a 
lape  from  one  of  the  best  horses  in  the  counthry  and 
troth,"  continued  he  with  a  wink,  "it  was  a  stolen  lape 
which  you  know  is  always  the  best,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  chapeness." 

Terry  told  me  that  Spangle  had  started  in  a  number 
of  races  on  the  flat  and  over  hurdles  and  was  never 
beaten  but  once,  and  that  time  by  Floyd's  chestnut  mare 
Maud.  They  had  met  in  a  dash  of  half  a  mile  and 
she,"  to  use  Oiney's  expression,  "ran  right  away  from 
him."  He  did  not  like  it,  and  it  was  this  that  tempted 
him  to  try  and  get  one  that  could  defeat  her.  All  this 
I  learned  afterwards  from  my  aunt,  as  she  was  a 
cousin  of  Floyd's,  and  being  Scotch-Irish,  they  were  as 
clannish  as  Highlanders. 

When  Oiney  returned  with  the  gray,  Terry  told  me 
that  his  name  was  Conquering  Billy,  and  as  he  will 
play  a  prominent  part  in  the  balance  of  the  story,  I 


CONQUERING   BILLY.  71 

will  now  tell  you  what  I  learned  about  him.  In  speak- 
ing of  him,  Oiney  said :  "Larry,  it  was  this  way.  A 
friend  of  mine,  Mike  Walsh  by  name,  lived  beyant 
Toronto.  He  had  an  ould  gray  mare  that  was  a  good 
one.  She  had  been  run  and  run,  here,  there  and  every- 
where, over  all  kinds  of  tracks  and  all  kinds  of  roads, 
and  under  all  kinds  of  names,  let  me  tell  ye.  She  was 
getting  old  and  onsartin  the  first  time  I  see'd  her  at  the 
'burg,  but  I  wanted  her  to  breed.  Mike  would  not 
hear  of  it ;  but  I  kept  at  him  until  he  promised  to  send 
her  to  a  good  horse  and  sell  me  the  colt.  Breed  her  he 
did  the  next  spring,  after  she  fell  in  her  work  and  hurt- 
ed  her  shoulder,  to  a  high  flyer  up  in  Western  Canada, 
called  Terror.  Isn't  that  a  name  for  you?  Well,  it 
isn't  here  or  there,  he  was  a  clipper  horse  in  his  day 
and  they  tell  me  his  colts  are  doing  fine.  At  all  events, 
I  have  one  of  them  and  will  make  him  earn  his  oats,  or 
onto  the  plough  he  goes.  In  due  time  Mike's  old  mare 
had  a  foal.  It  was  a  colt  as  black  as  your  hat,  so  he 
wrote  me.  By  that  I  knew  it  would  be  a  gray.  I  did 
not  like  it,  but  let  me  tell  you  right  here,  a  good  horse 
cannot  be  a  bad  color.  I  stood  by  my  bargain  and 
here  it  is.  When  the  colt  was  a  two-year-old  Mike 
had  him  gelded  and  sent  him  down  here  on  the  boat.  I 
went  to  Prescott  and  got  him.  It  was  on  the  Twelfth 
of  July  and  all  the  Orangemen  in  the  country  were 
there  paradin'.  Half  of  them  knew  me  and  the  other 
half  had  heard  of  me,  no  doubt,  for  when  I  went  to 
lead  the  colt  up  the  street  from  the  wharf,  it  was  Oiney 
here  and  Oiney  there  until  I  could  not  hear  myself 
think.  Then  they  began  laughing  at  me  and  wanted 
to  know  where  I  was  going  with  King  William's  horse, 
for,  as  you  must  know,  all  of  the  King  Willie's  in  the 


72  OINEY   O'SHKA. 

Orangemen's  parade  ride  on  a  white  horse  if  they  can 
get  one.  I  knew  something  of  the  Boyne  and  London- 
derry, possibly  more  than  some  of  the  loyal  men  who 
were  making  game  of  me,  but  no  matter.  I  said  noth- 
ing and  led  the  colt  to  the  stable  where  my  other  horse 
was  and  canW  home.  When  I  named  the  gelding  I 
called  him  Conquering  Billy,  and  if  he  is  ever  good 
enough  to  run  I  mean  by  the  powers  to  let  them  that 
laughed  at  me  remember  it,  through  their  wallets," 
and  he  did. 

After  Conquering  Billy  had  been  walked  about  the 
yard  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  he  was  taken  into 
his  stall,  where  a  light  saddle  and  racing  bridle  were 
put  on  him.  Oiney  then  slipped  the  halter  on 
Spangler.  As  he  hopped  on  his  back  Terry  slipped  into 
Conquering  Billy's  saddle  and  followed  his  father  to 
the  lane.  By  this  time  the  sun  was  beginning  to  peep 
through  a  strip  of  maple  trees  that  lined  the  bank  of 
a  creek  at  the  end  of  the  cow  pasture,  while  the  light 
fleecy  clouds  of  mist  were  rolling  back  from  the  fields. 
In  an  apple  tree  near  the  post  where  Terry  told  me 
they  would  finish  a  big  robin  was  singing  as  though 
his  throat  would  burst,  while  a  couple  of  chipmunks 
with  their  tails  over  their  backs  sat  on  a  rail  and  looked 
at  him.  As  the  sun  struck  the  dew  on  the  leaves  and 
grass,  the  trembling  drops  changed  colors  like  the 
jewels  you  read  about  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  while 
the  crisp  morning  air  made  me  feel  like  "picking  my- 
self up  by  the  boot  straps." 

In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  Oiney  coming  towards 
me  on  Spangle.  He  was  as  he  said  "thawing  him 
out."  As  he  jogged  back  he  remarked,  "You  may 
look  for  some  flying  next  trip,"  and  I  did.  In  about 


SOLD.  73 

ten  minutes  I  heard  them  coming.  The  fall  of  their 
feet  on  the  sandy  loam  was  like  the  roll  of  a  muffled 
drum.  At  the  sound  of  it  the  cows  in  the  pasture 
picked  up  their  heads  and  looked  at  them  as  they 
swept  by,  while  the  sheep  and  the  lambs  dodged  out 
from  the  fence  corners  dancing  about  like  big  white 
spots  on  a  green  carpet  of  grass  as  they  scampered 
towards  the  center  of  the  pasture  field.  In  the  next 
lot  a  couple  of  mares  started  off  in  pursuit,  while 
their  foals  with  their  bushy  tails  over  their  backs 
whinnied  with  delight  as  they  rushed  after  them. 
When  they  reached  a  fence  the  mares  in  turn 
whinnied  long  and  loud,  as  I  thought,  to  the  pair  that 
were  racing  rather  than  the  youngsters  which  were 
soon  bunting  them  at  the  flanks  in  search  of  a  morn- 
ing draught.  As  I  was  watching  them  Conquering 
Billy  and  Spangle  swept  by.  The  gray  was  in  front. 
I  followed  them  as  they  turned  out  of  the  lane  and 
walked  to  the  stable  yard.  As  I  joined  them  I  noticed 
that  same  foxy  twinkle  in  Oiney's  eyes  when  he 
patted  Billy  on  the  neck  with  a  "You'll  do." 

The  pair  ran  another  heat,  and  after  that  I  heard 
no  more  of  Conquering  Billy  for  three  days.  On  Fri- 
day a  man  came  from  the  'burg  and  bought  Spangle. 
We  had  a  day  of  it,  as  both  Oiney  and  Terry  put  him 
over  the  "leps,"  riding  bareback  and  with  nothing  on 
him  but  a  rope  halter  with  the  shank  of  it  in  his 
mouth.  Oiney  called  it  the  "Irish  hitch"  and  the 
man  did  not  seem  to  like  it.  He  said  it  would  spoil 
his  mouth  and  make  him  a  "jibber."  Then  you 
should  have  seen  Oiney  look  at  him.  Straightening 
himself  up  until  he  looked  like  an  animated  rail  and 
staring  the  man  in  the  eye  he  said :  "Spoil  his  mouth, 


74  OINEY   O'SHEA. 

will  it?  If  you  want  him  to  come  back  honest  like, 
spake  to  him  and  he'll  mind  ye.  Nothing  else  for 
Spangle,  and  let  me  tell  you  if  you  are  racing  and  out 
to  win,  you'll  find  that  there  is  more  needs  pushing 
than  pulling."  You  should  have  seen  the  man  look 
at  him ;  but  finally  Oiney  told  him  at  dinner,  "If  you 
don't  like  him,  just  lave  him  and  I'll  bate  the  horse 
you  buy  with  him."  That  settled  it. 

I  expected  that  every  one  about  the  place  would 
be  in  tears  when  Spangle  was  led  away  and,  to  tell 
you  the  truth,  I  felt  that  way  myself,  but  not  a  bit  of 
it.  On  the  other  hand,  Oiney  kissed  his  wife  and 
said,  "Nora,  darlin',  that  was  a  bargain,"  while  Terry 
stood  on  his  head  and  laughed  until  I  thought  he 
would  split.  Years  after  I  learned  the  grounds  for 
all  this  merriment.  It  seems  that  Spangle  would  not 
go  in  any  other  rig.  With  a  bit  in  his  mouth  he 
would  "jib"  or  run  side  ways,  and  when  you  put  a 
saddle  on  him  there  was  war.  He  would  cring  and 
stick  up  his  back  when  he  felt  it,  and  when  the  man 
mounted  he  was  off,  but  not  the  way  or  where  you 
wanted  him.  Terry  told  me  it  was  simply  awful  to 
see  the  way  he  would  kick,  plunge,  bolt,  or  take  off  at 
a  wall  or  fence,  and  if  .you  put  a  spur  into  him  he . 
would  lie  down  and  try  to  roll  on  you.  Oiney  had 
sold  him  at  least  half  a  dozen  times  without  a  recom- 
mend "mind  ye"  and  always  took  him  back  at  a  re- 
duction. But  with  a  bare  back  and  a  rope  in  his 
mouth,  if  you  would  be  "aisy  with  him,  ye  spalpeen," 
he  would  go  through  fire  and  water  or  over  any  stone 
wall  in  the  country.  All  you  had  to  do  was  to  speak 
to  him,  give  him  a  clip  with  your  heels,  and  he  was 
off,  and  if  after  the  hounds  he  would  never  stop,  no 


A    HORSE   SENSE   FRIEND.  75 

matter  how  you  pulled  or  yanked  him,  until  the  fox 
took  to  earth  or  the  dogs  caught  him.  Then  he  would 
be,  as  Oiney  termed  it,  "as  meek  as  a  lamb." 

In  the  three  days  that  elapsed  I  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  all  the  lads  in  the  four  houses ;  had  seen 
every  mare  and  colt  on  the  place ;  counted  the  cows 
and  calves,  pigs  and  sheep ;  tried  to  make  friends  with 
a  big  black  and  red  rooster  that  was  of  "royal  fighting 
stock ;"  picked  strawberries  in  the  fence  corners  in 
the  meadows  and  caught  perch  and  rock  bass  in  the 
little  brook  that  ran  diagonally  through  the  farms. 
This  was  the  holiday  of  my  life.  No  one  ever  looked 
to  see  if  I  made  a  mark  on  the  floor  or  hung  my  hat 
on  the  proper  peg  morning,  noon  or  night,  or  seemed 
to  care  if  one  of  us  scratched  a  cheek  or  bruised  a 
head  in  a  scrimmage.  It  was  "Come  on,  boys,"  from 
daylight  to  dark,  and  I  managed  to  keep  up  with  the 
procession.  Oiney  also  put  himself  out  not  a  little 
to  see  that  I  did  not  get  "homesick,"  and  his  kindness 
in  those  days  made  me  his  friend  in  a  horse  sense. 
What  I  knew  I  told  him  and  what  he  knew  he  told 
nobody. 

Saturday  morning  after  breakfast  Conquering 
Billy  was  led  into  the  yard.  His  mane  was  braided 
with  green  ribbon,  while  his  tail  floated  behind  him 
like  a  white  banner.  Terry  came  out  of  the  house 
with  a  hood  and  blanket  bound  with  green  tape. 
When  they  were  put  on  the  horse  I  saw  that  Liddy 
(she  was  Oiney's  only  daughter)  had  sewed  the  let- 
ters "C.  B."  on  the  blanket.  They  were  green  silk, 
and  Terry  told  me  they  were  cut  from  the  ribbons  of 
her  Easter  bonnet.  She  said  they  would  bring  Billy 
"good  luck"  and  all  of  the  family  believed  it.  Liddy 


76  OINKY   O'SHEA. 

also  told  me  at  breakfast  that  they  were  going  to  race 
Billy  that  afternoon  against  Mike  Floyd's  mare 
Maud,  and  that  if  I  wanted  to  go  and  see  the  race 
Oiney  would  let  me.  She  said  that  she  was  going 
and  that  Terry  was  going  to  ride  the  gray.  Later  I 
learned  that  a  few  weeks  before  I  arrived  in  that  part 
of  the  county  Maud  had  beaten  Spangle  in  a  race ; 
"made  him  look  like  a  two-penny  bit,"  as  Liddy  ex- 
pressed it,  and  Oiney  then  made  up  his  mind  to  get 
back  what  he  lost  and  a  little  with  it.  The  first  time 
that  he  met  Floyd  after  the  race  they  began  talking 
about  it,  and  as  Floyd  had  been  drinking  a  little,  he 
boasted  that  "Maud  could  gallop  over  the  top  of  any- 
thing in  Irishtown."  That  was  cutting  Oiney  to  the 
quick,  as  he  was  the  only  one  in  the  place  that  had 
a  race  horse  or  pretended  to  have  one,  so  he  bided  his 
time.  As  Floyd  became  very  overbearing,  Oiney 
ventured  the  remark  that  he  had  a  "bit  of  a  gray 
gelding  that  could  gallop  a  little,  but  he  did  not  care 
to  match  him,  as  he  did  not  know  how  to  break  away." 
This  made  Floyd  laugh,  while  the  crowd  which  is  apt 
to  gather  at  such  a  time  joined  in.  As  they  laughed 
Oiney  kept  thinking  and  finally  said  he  would  run 
either  Spangle  or  the  gray  against  the  mare  a  race  of 
mile  heats  for  $200  a  side.  At  this  Floyd  only 
laughed  louder  than  ever.  He  also  reminded  Oiney 
that  he  never  ran  Maud  further  than  half-mile  heats. 
"That  is  a  dunghill's  distance,"  said  Oiney,  as  he 
turned  on  his  heel  and  dodged  through  the  crowd,  and 
it  was  well  he  did,  as  in  a  moment  Floyd  was  acting 
like  a  madman.  "Let  me  at  him!"  he  yelled,  as  he 
strove  to  break  away  from  a  few  of  his  friends  who 
grabbed  him  as  soon  as  they  saw  what  was  coming. 


MATCHED.  77 

There  would  have  been  murder  if  Floyd  had  found 
Oiney  that  night;  but  Oiney  knew  it  and  kept  out  of 
the  way,  while  he  told  those  whom  he  knew  would 
carry  it  to  Floyd  that  if  he  did  not  change  his  ways 
he  would  "ride  on  a  horse  that  was  foaled  of  an 
acorn."  This  was  one  of  Oiney's  favorite  expressions. 
A  few  days  after  this  altercation  a  friend  of 
Floyd's  met  Oiney  on  the  road.  They  stopped  and 
talked.  He  told  Oiney  that  Floyd  was  wild  and  that 
he  had  better  keep  out  of  his  way.  Oiney  only 
laughed  and  said  he  would  race  him  three-quarter- 
mile  heats  with  a  green  colt,  and  told  him  to  go  and 
tell  him  so.  Floyd  would  not  accept ;  but  as  his  blood 
wasup  and  he  felt  thata  slur  had  been  cast  on  his  mare, 
he  offered  to  split  the  difference,  or,  in  other  words, 
make  a  race  for  $200  a  side  at  five  furlongs.  This 
was  what  Oiney  was  waiting  for,  and  after  fighting 
shy  in  order  "to  make  the  betting  good,"  as  he  said, 
the  race  was  made.  It  was  to  be  run  on  a  straight 
piece  of  road  about  five  miles  from  where  the  O'Shea's 
lived  and  where  nearly  all  of  the  races  in  that  section 
were  decided.  From  that  time  Oiney  put  in  all  of 
his  time  on  Conquering  Billy.  He  had  been  galloped 
regularly  all  spring  with  Spangle.  As  he  was  not  a 
very  quick  beginner  the  bay  could  always  beat  him  for 
half  a  mile,  but  at  the  end,  when  Spangle  would  be  all 
in,  Billy  was  full  of  running.  His  rush  came  too 
late  to  reach,  and  it  was  this  fact  that  made  Oiney 
believe  Billy  could  do  better  over  a  longer  distance. 
I  also  learned  afterwards  that  the  morning  I  saw  the 
pair  worked,  Spangle  was  sent  away  five  or  six 
lengths  in  front  of  the  gray  and  Billy  caught  him  at 
the  finish,  but  the  dash  was  three-quarters  of  a  mile. 


78  OINEY    O'SHEA. 

Oiney  never  told  me  that,  but  Terry  whispered  it  in 
my  ear  when  we  were  going  home  after  the  race. 

Oiney  started  off  on  foot  with  Conquering  Billy 
for  the  race  ground,  and  in  an  hour  or  so  the  balance 
of  the  O'Shea  family  started  in  wagons  for  the  same 
point.  It  wafe  a  great  day  for  Irishtown.  Their  pride 
had  been  touched  by  Floyd's  boasting,  and  they  were 
going  to  make  another  bid  for  "ould  Ireland"  and  her 
supremacy  in  racing  affairs  in  those  parts.  No  one 
was  to  be  seen  when  the  place  was  reached,  but  to- 
wards noon  Maud  in  a  white  blanket  was  seen  coming 
down  the  hill.  She  was  led  to  one  of  the  sheds  that 
had  been  erected  in  a  field  near  by  for  the  shelter  of 
horses  on  similar  errands  in  the  past.  During  the 
next  two  hours  rigs  of  all  descriptions,  men  on  horse- 
back and  on  foot  assembled.  The  time  for  the  race 
was  fixed  at  two  o'clock,  but  it  was  after  three  before 
the  wrangle  over  judges  and  starter  was  disposed  of. 
Then  Floyd  objected  to  Terry  riding  Conquering 
Billy.  He  claimed  that  he  was  below  the  proper 
weight,  but  the  stakeholder  ruled  that  the  race  was  at 
catch  weights  and  that  Oiney  could  put  up  anybody 
he  pleased  or  ride  himself  if  he  wanted  to.  Then 
there  was  betting  galore,  but  it  was  done  by  the  spec- 
tators, for  while  Oiney  knew  after  what  he  had  seen 
on  the  back  road  that  Maud  did  not  like  the  distance, 
he  was  not  certain  that  Billy  would  get  away  well  and 
might  lose  more  at  one  end  than  he  could  make  up  at 
the  other. 

Maud  was  the  favorite  and  a  volley  of  cheers  fol- 
lowed her  up  the  road  as  her  jockey  galloped  towards 
the  starting  point.  Oiney  took  Conquering  Billy  by 
the  bridle  and  walked  off  with  him,  telling  Terry  to 


FIRST   HEAT   FOR   MAUD.  79 

follow  on  foot.  After  a  long  wait  the  spectators  saw 
Maud  coming  down  the  road  alone.  Her  rider  went 
over  the  course  and  claimed  the  heat  and  race.  The 
judges,  who  were  standing  on  the  tail  end  of  a  wagon, 
heard  what  was  said,  but  remained  silent  until  the 
starter  and  Oiney  appeared.  I  could  see  Oiney  was 
wild  with  rage  and  the  starter  was  not  much  better. 
Then  when  Terry  trotted  up  on  Conquering  Billy  it 
was  plain  to  me  that  he  had  fallen,  as  he  was  covered 
with  dirt. 

Oiney  claimed  the  race  on  a  foul.  He  said  .that 
Maud's  rider  had  forced  her  against  the  gray  and 
bumped  him  into  the  ditch.  The  starter  said  that,  in 
his  opinion,  Maud's  rider  had  accidentally  crowded 
Conquering  Billy  just  as  he  tapped  the  drum  for  them 
to  be  off.  The  latter  swerved  on  to  the  grass  at  the 
side  of  a  shallow  ditch  which  ran  parallel  with  the 
road.  It  gave  way  under  him  and  caused  him  to 
stumble  and  finally  fall  in  the  mud.  As  a  recall  flag 
had  not  reached  that  section  of  country,  Maud's  rider 
galloped  over  the  course  as  stated.  The  judges,  after 
considerable  deliberation,  gave  Maud  the  heat  and 
let  it  go  at  that.  As  for  distancing  Conquering 
Billy — well,  that  was  not  thought  of. 

When  the  horses  came  out  for  the  second  heat  it 
looked  as  if  the  whole  affair  would  break  up  in  a 
fight.  Oiney  was  up  on  Conquering  Billy,  and  after 
breezing  him  up  and  down  the  road  a  couple  of  times, 
"to  get  his  pipes  open,"  as  a  bystander  remarked,  he 
told  the  judges  that  he  would  ride.  "The  lad  is  well 
enough,"  he  said,  "when  they  play  fair,  but  I  will  not 
have  him  hurted." 


80  OINEY   O'SHEA. 

Floyd  objected,  but  the  judges  overruled  him  after 
reminding  him  of  his  former  protest.  Then  he  said 
he  would  draw  his  mare.  The  judges  said,  "You  can 
if  you  wish,  and  we'll  give  Oiney  the  money."  The 
stake-holder  was  one  of  the  judges.  He  was  a  fair 
man  and  as  brave  as  a  lion.  In  about  half  an  hour 
the  two  horses  were  again  at  the  starting  point. 
There  was  but  little  delay,  the  rattle  of  the  drum  soon 
telling  the  people  lining  both  sides  of  the  road  that 
they  were  off.  As  they  came  into  view  the  mare  was 
in  front,  running  under  a  pull  with  her  mouth  open. 
Oiney  was  about  a  length  away  on  the  gray  and 
riding  him  for  dear  life.  As  they  passed  the  half- 
mile  mark  the  mare  was  still  a  length  to  the  good. 
She  held  the  advantage  for  over  a  hundred  yards, 
when  she  began  to  come  back.  I  was  opposite  to  her 
at  the  time  and  Floyd  was  standing  in  front  of  me 
with  an  umbrella  in  his  hand.  He  rushed  out  into 
the  road  and  struck  at  her,  while  the  boy  who  was 
riding  her  also  struck  her  with  the  whip.  As  the 
blow  fell  she  swerved  her  head,  striking  Conquering 
Billy's  quarters  as  Oiney  with  a  wild  "hooray"  dashed 
by.  Conquering  Billy  won  the  heat  in  almost  a  dead 
silence.  There  was  not  a  cheer  to  greet  him.  Many 
of  those  near  the  finish  believed  that  Maud  had  been 
pulled  out  of  her  stride,  as  they  never  saw  her  struck 
before.  Oiney  came  back  smiling,  but  said  nothing. 
He  was  awarded  the  heat  as  soon  as  the  starter  came 
to  the  wagon  and  reported  to  the  judges. 

With  the  announcement  pandemonium  broke 
loose.  The  whole  O'Shea  family,  young  and  old, 
seemed  to  have  money  to  bet  on  the  gray.  They 
stood  up  in  their  wagons  and  asked  everybody  and 


THE   GRAY   WINS.  83 

anybody  to  come  and  take  it.  They  would  not  give 
odds — that  I  learned  was  contrary  to  their  belief  in 
racing — but  they  would  bet  even  that  Conquering 
Billy  would  win. 

By  this  time  Floyd  also  saw  his  mistake.  No  one 
had  to  tell  him  what  was  wrong,  as  he  remembered 
the  trial  on  the  back  road,  and  while  he  did  not  at  that 
time  know  that  Oiney  had  seen  it,  the  knowledge  was 
enough  for  him.  He  saw  that  his  mare  was  not  over- 
matched, but  that  he  was  running  her  beyond  her  dis- 
tance, so  he  sent  a  friend  to  Oiney  to  see  if  they  could 
not  call  the  race  off,  as  each  had  a  heat  and  for  either 
of  them  to  win  another  would  only  make  bad  blood. 
Oiney's  answer  was  "No."  In  a  few  minutes  the  man 
came  again  to  see  if  he  would  take  the  stake  and  not 
run  another  heat.  Oiney  again  answered  "No." 
There  remained  but  two  things  for  Floyd  to  do:  one 
was  to  run  it  off  and  the  other  draw.  He  drew. 
Conquering  Billy,  with  Oiney  up,  galloped  over  the 
course  and  was  awarded  the  stake,  while  every  man 
on  the  grounds  wanted  to  thrash  Floyd  for  not  giving 
them  a  race  to  the  finish  for  the  money  they  had  bet. 

As  we  drove  home  from  the  race  Oiney's  wagon 
went  out  of  its  way  to  take  me  to  Uncle  Flynn's.  As 
he  dropped  me  at  the  gate  Oiney  bade  me  tell  my 
aunt  all  about  Maud's  trial  on  the  back  road,  and 
especially  how  I  found  him  hid  in  the  corner  of  the 
fence.  I  obeyed  orders,  and  when  Mike  Floyd  heard 
of  it,  which  he  did  that  night,  my  visit  was  finished. 


CHARLIE  SING. 

ways  that  are  dark, 
And  for  tricks  that  are  vain, 
The   heathen   Chinee   is   peculiar.— Harte. 

Charlie  Sing  was  a  Chinaman.  He  was  the  pro 
prietor  of  what  Ragan  called  a  four  tub  shop  in  th< 
rear  of  the  stable  in  Albany  where  I  wintered  the  ba] 
horse  in  1887-8.  The  Chinaman  and  Ragan,  the  fore 
man  of  the  stable,  were  friends.  It  was  a  peculia 
mixture,  but  one  that  is  apt  to  occur  under  the  Ameri 
can  flag  where  all  men — this  includes  Chinamen — ar 
free  and  equal,  if  they  behave  themselves.  At  al 
events,  Ragan  said  Charlie  Sing  was  a  good  China 
man,  and  as  Ragan  was  a  clever  Irishman  and  ; 
splendid  hater,  I  accepted  it.  As  the  winter  wor 
along  I  learned  that  Charlie  Sing  had  money  and  tha 
he  knew  how  to  keep  it.  He  was  not  one  of  the  fan 
tan  playing,  opium  smoking  variety,  but  an  up-to-dat 
worker,  even  if  he  could  not  make  himself  understood 
in  English.  He  had  a  small  stock  of  words  that  h 
could  roll  out  with  the  usual  double  e  on  the  end  o 
them,  but  I  soon  found  that  he  understood  about  al 
that  was  said  and  could,  with  his  slender  stock  o 
English  and  a  bunch  of  signs,  carry  on  a  busy  conver 
sation  with  Ragan. 

Ragan  was  not  what  you  might  call  proud  of  hi 
Mongolian  friend,  still  he  considered  Charlie  Sing  ai 
exception,  and  in  speaking  of  him  always  closed  hi 
remarks  by  saying  that  Charlie  was  "bound  to  ge 


AROUND   THE   STOVE.  85 

rich  through  his  main  strength  and  ignorance."  No 
one  knew  what  he  meant,  and  I  doubt  if  he  did  him- 
self, but  before  the  end  of  the  year  every  man  in  the 
outfit  saw  the  prediction  fulfilled. 

The  foreman  was  always  up  in  front  when  the 
boys  were  telling  tales  "around  the  stove  of  an  even- 
ing." You  could  find  more  "hot  air"  there  than  at 
the  nozzle  of  a  blast  furnace.  A  sitting  or  two  also 
proved  that  Ragan  could  put  a  spoke  in  the  cleverest 
man's  wheel  and  block  more  yarn  spinners  than  a 
strike  at  Fall  River.  Charlie  Sing  was  at  every  ses- 
sion. He  sat  on  a  feed  box  in  the  corner,  but  never 
said  a  word  or  ventured  more  than  a  nod  to  those 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted.  When  the  spring 
came  I  moved  out  to  Island  Park,  and  for  all  that  I 
knew  the  Chinaman  went  back  to  his  tubs.  Ragan 
drove  out  occasionally,  but  had  nothing  to  say  until 
the  Monday  before  the  Grand  Circuit  meeting.  I 
had  come  in  the  night  before  from  Utica  and  was 
busy  fixing  up  my  stall  when  the  door  opened  and 
who  should  walk  in  but  Ragan.  He  looked  as  spruce 
as  a  pin  in  his  light  fedora  hat,  checked  suit  and  red 
and  white  striped  shirt.  You  could  see  yourself  in 
the  shine  on  his  shoes,  while  the  diamond  in  his  pin 
made  the  horse  cast  a  shadow  on  the  wall.  I  had 
come  all  the  way  down  from  Cleveland  without  see- 
ing anything  like  this  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  did 
not  look  for  it  at  the  Island.  But  there  it  was,  and 
aside  from  the  brogue  you  never  saw  a  more  correct 
fashion-plate  for  what  Ragan  would  term  a  "sporting 
karakter." 

When  my  eyes  became  used  to  the  sight  I  asked 
him  to  sit  down  on  the  trunk  if  he  was  not  afraid  of 


86  CHARLIE   SING. 

the  dust  and  I  would  be  with  him  as  soon  as  I  took 
the  horse's  bandages  off.  I  peeked  around  to  see 
how  he  took  it  and  found  it  was  the  same  old  Ragan, 
as  in  a  minute  he  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  horse 
rolling  a  derby  off  his  leg  as  clever  as  the  best 
groomstef  I  ever  put  an  eye  on. 

"So  you  thought  I  was  stuck  up?"  says  he. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  says  I,  "but  I  was  afraid  you 
might  soil  your  new  harness."  By  that  I  meant 
clothes. 

"I  am  having  my  vacation,"  said  Ragan  without 
noticing  my  remark,  "and  as  I  was  made  a  present  of 
a  new  suit  of  clothes  for  selling  a  horse,  I  thought  I 
would  put  them  on  and  take  in  the  races." 

"Right  you  are,"  said  I.  "I  knew  you  had  warm 
blood  in  your  veins,  although  you  were  always  daft 
on  the  jumpers."  By  that  I  meant  his  fondness  for 
the  steeplechasers,  and  let  me  tell  you,  Ragan  was 
an  artist  on  the  back  of  a  horse  when  it  came  to  pilot- 
ing him  over  the  fences.  He  said  it  was  in  the  south 
of  Ireland  breed  and  I  believed  it,  even  if  Turner  and 
Murphy  did  take  to  the  sulky  instead  of  the  saddle. 

What  we  talked  about  is  no  matter,  but  the 
following  morning  when  I  had  my  pupil  out  walking 
him  in  the  wet  grass  to  take  the  fever  out  of  his  legs, 
Ragan  slipped  around  the  turn  and  signaled  for  me 
to  come  to  him.  That  looked  like  business,  so  over 
I  went.  After  passing  the  time  of  day  Ragan  says  to 
me  in  a  whisper:  "Is  there  a  horse  named  Del 
Monte?"  I  told  him  there  was.  "Well,"  said  he, 
"I'm  going  to  back  him."  You  should  have  seen  me 
look  at  Ragan.  When  I  had  my  fill  I  took  him  by  the 
arm,  led  him  and  the  horse  into  the  stall  and  hooked 


THE   DEL  MONTE   TIP.  87 

the  door.  When  I  found  no  one  was  listening  I  said: 
"You  don't  mean  it."  "I  do,"  said  he,  and  with  a 
snap  that  showed  he  was  not  pleased  with  my 
familiarity. 

"Well,  do  it,"  said  I,  "but  it  is  like  burning  good 
money.  He  is  one  of  the  kind  that  will  do  for  see- 
sawing heats  at  small  meetings,  but  when  it  comes  to 
the  Grand  Circuit,  he  is  outclassed." 

"Can  your  thing  beat  him?"  asked  Ragan,  pointing 
at  my  horse. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  I,  "but  he  don't  have  to,  as 
they  are  not  in  the  same  class." 

"I  thought  so,"  said  Ragan,  as  he  slammed  him- 
self down  on  the  trunk. 

I  let  him  cool  off  a  little  before  taking  out  my 
book  to  read  up.  Then  I  showed  him  where  Del 
Monte  had  been  racing  since  the  May  meeting  at  Fleet- 
wood,  where  he  won  a  six-heat  race  from  "Gypsy" 
Haight  with  Gautier  and  how  Gautier  trimmed 
him  over  the  half-mile  ring  at  Goshen  the  next 
week.  As  I  thumbed  over  the  summaries  I  found 
that  Del  Monte  had  won  a  seven-heat  race  at 
Poughkeepsie,  a  straight  heat  affair  at  Albany 
in  June  and  was  third  to  Green  Girl  at  Hartford.  I 
could,  against  my  will,  feel  like  getting  sweet  on  him 
when  I  found  that  he  had  won  a  seven-heat  battle  over 
Mystic  Park  with  ten  of  them  behind  him,  until  I 
turned  over  another  page  and  saw  that  Ernest  Mal- 
travers  had  tramped  on  him  at  Beacon  the  next  week, 
and  that  after  he  had  won  a  second  heat  in  2:21^2  and 
was  back  sixth  in  the  fifth  heat  in  2 125^.  As  I  closed 
the  book  I  said:  "Ragan,  when  it  is  split  up  in  cool 
weather  Del  Monte  is  a  good  card,  but  he  won't  do 
here." 


88  CHARUE   SING. 

"I  tell  you  he  will  win,"  said  Ragan, 

Just  think  of  that  coming  from  a  man  that  had 
never  seen  the  horse,  so  I  completed  the  sentence  for 
him  by  adding  "the  banner."  As  Ragan  shook  his 
head,  I  felt  sorry  for  him.  So  I  says :  "Old  boy,  last 
winter  when  I  was  hungry  you  fed  me.  You  even 
chipped  in  to  buy  me  an  overcoat,  so  if  you  will  listen, 
I  will  put  you  next  to  a  good  thing.  Bet  what  you 
can  afford  to  loose  on  Richardson  (his  full  name  was 
J.  B.  Richardson,  but  no  one  but  the  starter  ever 
called  him  that)  and  he  will  romp  home  for  you.  As 
for  Del  Monte,  he  will  not  be  two  six.  It  is  worse 
than  a  shell  game  to  back  him."  When  I  had  the 
throttle  wide  open  I  told  him  of  the  races  Richardson 
had  won  at  Cleveland,  Buffalo  and  Utica,  and  what  a 
stiff  fight  he  put  up  at  Rochester  when  Geers  bowled 
him  over  with  Frank  Buford.  He  would  not  listen  to 
it  and  my  chance  of  making  twenty-five  or  fifty  for 
steering  him  went  glimmering. 

On  looking  up  the  entry  list  I  found  that  Del 
Monte  was  in  the  2 124  class.  It  was  down  for  Wed- 
nesday. The  other  entries  were  Graylight,  Jeremiah, 
St.  Elmo,  Company,  Lucille's  Baby,  Eclipse  and  Wil- 
liam Kearney.  On  paper  it  did  not  look  as  though 
he  had  a  chance  in  five  hundred,  unless  the  balance  of 
them  dropped  dead  or  ran  into  the  river.  On  the  day 
of  the  race  Ragan  popped  into  the  stall  bright  and 
early.  He  looked  like  a  winner,  but  that  was  in  the 
morning.  I  did  not  have  anything  to  say,  as  I  knew 
my  tip  on  Richardson  was  cold,  while  he  sat  on  the 
trunk  and  rubbed  his  hands  after  the  style  of  a  Jew 
that  had  just  sold  a  two-dollar  suit  for  a  ten-dollar 
note.  Finally  Ragan  could  not  keep  quiet  any  longer 


THE  CHINAMAN'S  CONTRIBUTION.  89 

and  he  broke  away  with  the  remark,  "Charlie  Sing 
says  Del  Monte  will  win." 

"The  Chinaman,"  said  I.  You  could  have  knocked 
me  over  with  a  feather. 

"Nothing  else,"  said  Ragan. 

Then  I  thought  he  was  off  his  head.  If  there  had 
been  a  station  on  the  grounds  I  would  have  talked  it 
over  with  the  captain.  Finally,  screwing  my  courage 
up  to  the  sticking  point,  I  walked  over  to  him  and 
putting  my  hand  on  his  shoulder  said,  as  I  looked 
him  in  the  eye :  "Ragan,  are  you  going  to  put  down 
your  good  money  on  Del  Monte?"  I  must  have 
looked  serious  as  he  burst  out  laughing  When 
he  had  it  out  and  gave  me  time  to  get  back  to 
earth  he  said,  "No,  I  am  going  to  bet  it  for  the  China- 
man." As  he  said  this  I  felt  relieved,  as  it  now  looked 
as  though  he  had  been  joshing  me.  But  I  soon  found 
my  mistake,  as  in  a  couple  of  minutes  Ragan  produced 
a  roll  of  fourteen  fifties.  He  counted  them  with  the 
sang  froid  of  a  faro  dealer  and  followed  up  the  good 
work  with  the  remark  that  it  was  Charlie  Sing's  con- 
tribution to  the  betting  ring  at  this  meeting.  My 
eyes  stuck  out  so  far  that  I  believe  you  could  have 
knocked  them  off  with  a  stick.  Ragan  noticed  it  and 
laughed,  as  he  said  "  Charlie  is  the  first  and  only 
Chinaman  that  ever  could  be  found  guilty  of  betting 
$700  on  a  horse  race,  and  that  he  would  put  every 
penny  of  it  down  if  the  game  hung  out  long  enough." 

As  Ragan  slipped  the  roll  into  his  inside  vest  pocket 
I  asked  him  to  strip  a  leaf  off  of  it  so  that  I  could  buy 
a  ticket  on  Richardson.  I  told  him  that  I  had  not 
been  rubbing  a  winner,  and  while  the  owner  paid  for 
the  food  and  freight,  I  was  in  need  of  a  little  sure 


90  CHARUE   SING. 

money  to  get  under  way  again,  as  the  last  I  had  went 
kiteing  when  Frank  Buford  put  a  crimp  in  the  betting 
ring  at  Rochester.  Ragan  never  moved  an  eyelash  when 
I  stepped  on  and  told  him  that  the  best  thing  he  could 
do  was  to  keep  the  balance  and  after  the  race  we  could 
find  enough  dead  tickets  to  make  the  Chinaman  be- 
lieve it  was  bet  as  ordered.  Then  you  should  have 
seen  Ragan  boil  over.  He  just  hopped  up  and  down 
like  Guy  when  scoring  and  became  so  noisy  that  I 
had  to  push  him  out  of  the  stall  to  keep  him  from 
scaring  the  horse.  As  he  toddled  down  the  home 
stretch  I  whisked  over  to  the  club  house  and  found  a 
heeler  to  look  after  my  horse  until  I  could  make  a  run 
to  Albany. 

As  I  walked  up  the  alley  Charlie  Sing  was  stand- 
ing at  the  door  of  his  wash  house.  He  did  not  appear 
to  know  me  when  I  called  him  by  name,  and  as  I  was 
short  on  Chinese  and  long  on  English  I  was  not  able 
to  make  him  understand  who  I  was.  To  everything 
I  said  all  the  answer  I  could  get  was  "Allee  samee, 
you  bet,"  or  something  of  that  sort.  Finally  I  took 
him  by  the  sleeVe  and  led  him  into  the  stable.  After 
pointing  towards  the  horses  I  marched  him  in  front 
of  half  a  dozen  colored  racing  prints  which  hung  on 
the  wall  in  the  gangway.  He  looked  at  them  as  a 
boy  would  at  a  prize  package,  but  never  so  much  as 
smiled.  What  to  do  I  did  not  know.  I  tried  to  make 
him  understand  that  I  wanted  him  to  go  to  the  race 
track  by  pointing  towards  the  horses  and  the  river, 
but  all  I  could  get  out  of  Charlie  Sing  was  a  shake  of 
the  head. 

Whether  it  meant  that  he  did  not  understand  or 
would  not  go,  was  more  than  I  know.  I  felt  like 


TOUTING  A   HEATHEN   CHINEE.  91 

touching  him  up  with  a  pitchfork.  Finally  I  played 
my  last  card  by  saying  Del  Monte.  As  soon  as 
Charlie  heard  it  he  nodded  and  said  "Goodee, 
goodee,"  but  as  soon  as  he  said  it  his  face  again  as- 
sumed its  usual  blank  expression.  Taking  a  piece  of 
chalk  I  made  a  ring  on  the  floor  and  running  my 
finger  around  it  said,  "Del  Monte."  There  were 
more  nods  from  Charlie  Sing,  but  no  more  comments. 
That  was  the  limit  and  I  walked  down  to  the  dock, 
while  Charlie  Sing  started  up  the  alley  towards  his 
four-tub  shop.  Touching  Splan  for  my  fare  up  the 
river  I  sat  down  and  did  not  have  much  heart  in 
the  fun  that  Frank  Herdic  was  making  with  a  fiddle 
he  had  taken  from  the  leader  of  the  orchestra.  No 
one  paid  any  attention  to  me  and  I  was  glad  they  did 
not,  as  that  dumb  Chinaman  with  money  to  bet  had 
taken  all  of  the  life  out  of  me. 

When  the  morning  selling  began  I  was  in  the  bet- 
ting ring  and  waited  for  Herdic  to  reach  the  2 124  trot. 
It  looked  as  though  it  would  never  come,  as  there  was 
a  load  of  money  going  in  on  Richardson,  while  the 
Canadian  speculator  who  made  such  a  killing  when 
Frank  Buford  won  at  Rochester,  was  playing  that 
horse  to  "beat  the  band."  Herdic's  tongue  rattled 
along  like  a  brook  over  a  bed  of  pebbles,  while  Jimmy 
McCrea  was  taking  in  the  greenbacks  at  a  rate  that 
would  soon  start  a  National  bank.  The  Coates  family 
thought  Philosee  had  a  chance,  while  the  New  Yorkers 
considered  Eph  a  quantity  that  required  attention. 
And  let  me  tell  you  he  was  a  good  horse,  while  with 
Alta  McDonald  to  drive  him  meant  considerable  at 
the  Island,  as  he  knew  every  foot  of  the  ground  and 
does  not  ask  any  odds  of  anyone  when  it  comes  to 


92  CHARUB   SING. 

stepping  up  in  the  bunch.  Splan  had  Protection. 
While  he  had  not  as  yet  acquired  the  faculty  of  win- 
ning, he  could  make  a  whole  lot  of  bother  and  would 
win  a  heat  now  and  then  if  you  were  not  looking. 

When  the  betting  on  the  race  began  to  drag 
Herdic  tried  the  free-for-all  pace  and  then  jumped  to 
the  2  -.24  trot.  This  was  the  race  that  Del  Monte  was 
in.  It  opened  with  Graylight  at  "50  all  over  the 
house."  Every  one  appeared  to  want  a  ticket  on  him, 
or,  as  Herdic  remarked,  "it  looked  as  if  all  of  them 
had  a  tip  direct  from  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,"  which 
was  at  that  time  under  the  management  of  that  horse's 
owner.  As  Frank  Herdic  rattled  along  it  was  appar- 
ent that  Feek  thought  well  of  William  Kearney's 
chances,  as  the  Syracuse  contingent  bought  him  stead- 
ily at  $25,  but  their  confidence  was  not  a  whit  stronger 
than  Mortimer  Thompson's  in  Lucille's  Baby,  until 
he  had  reached  his  limit.  When  he  began  to  fall  off 
Herdic  lifted  his  hat  and  asked  Mort  not  to  forsake  the 
Baby,  as  she  was  better  than  her  mother,  referring,  of 
course,  to  the  old  race  mare  Lucille  Golddust,  which 
produced  Lucille's  Baby,  and  that  good  race  horse 
Sprague  Golddust,  which  was  later  on  a  winner  for 
Charlie  Green.  No  one  appeared  to  want  very  much 
of  Company,  as  it  was  known  that  he  was  a  rank 
puller,  while  the  big  horse  St.  Elmo  was  counted  out 
of  it  for  some  reason  or  other.  "Then  it  was  ho\v 
much  for  Jeremiah?"  Some  one  said  15,  and  Herdic 
knocked  it  down  with  the  comment  that  it  was  a 
rather  small  figure  for  such  a  well-known  character. 
Del  Monte's  name  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  sheet,  and 
when  it  was  called  I  heard  some  one  near  me  cry  5. 
It  was  Ragan.  A  man  on  the  other  side  of  the  box 


TICKETS  FOR   CHARUB.  93 

raised  it  to  6  and  Ragan  got  it  for  $7,  Company  and 
St.  Elmo  being  thrown  in  for  good  measure.  The 
selling  ran  on  in  this  way  for  an  hour  or  so. 

Whenever  a  Del  Monte  ticket  would  run  up  to  $15  or 
$20  Ragan  let  it  go,  but  I  saw  he  always  had  a  bid  and 
was  along  towards  the  end  paying  as  high  as  $15  for 
him.  Herdic  had  his  eye  on  Ragan  and  time  and 
again  designated  him  as  "a  game  sporting  gent,"  "a 
fashion  plate  in  a  fedora,"  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 
Ragan  did  not  mind  it,  but  stepped  up  and  took  out 
the  tickets  knocked  down  to  "Charlie,"  the  name  he 
had  given  at  the  start.  I  could  not  but  admire  his 
pluck,  although  I  know  it  does  not  take  a  very  game 
individual  to  bet  another  man's  money.  When  the 
selling  on  the  race  stopped  I  stepped  over  to  Ragan 
and  asked  him  how  much  he  had  on.  After  adding  up 
a  row  of  figures  which  he  had  on  the  back  of  an  en- 
velope he  said  $405,  and  he  then  told  me  he  would  try 
and  place  the  balance  before  the  race  started,  as  he 
did  not  like  the  field  and  favorite  betting  between 
heats.  It  staggered  me  when  I  saw  how  he  was 
catching  on  to  the  business,  so  I  had  dinner  with  him 
and  went  back  to  the  stall. 

The  2:24  class  was  not  called  until  after  four 
o'clock.  In  the  interval  J.  B.  Richardson  made  good 
as  I  said  he  would,  but  it  was  by  a  narrow  margin,  as 
after  Eph  had  carried  him  two  heats  Protection  landed 
twice  and  Frank  Buford  once  before  the  old  warrior 
could  again  catch  Wood  Martin's  eye  at  the  finish. 
He  gave  many  a  man  a  touch  of  heart  disease  that  af- 
ternoon. Then  in  the  free-for-all  there  was  another 
snag.  Jewett  was  considered  the  best  one  in  the 
bunch.  After  he  landed  a  heat  Van  Ness  came  on 


94  CHARLIE  SING. 

with  Gossip,  Jr.,  and  won  two.  The  judges  did  not 
take  very  kindly  to  the  way  Jewett  was  being  driven, 
so  they  assessed  Mann  a  hundred  because  he  waited 
for  Gossip  in  the  stretch,  and  told  Jimmy  Doughrey 
to  put  on  the  colors.  From  that  time  it  was  a  romp 
for  Jewett. 

After  the  deciding  heat  in  the  pacing  race  the  2 124 
trotters  came  out  for  the  word.  As  thev  scored  I 
could  hear  Herdic  saying,  "Graylight  sold  for  100,  who 
will  give  me  50  for  the  field?"  That  was  the  quota- 
tion on  the  last  ticket  sold.  The  favorite  did  not  go 
away  very  brisk  and  Bowen  was  not  hurrying  him 
when  Feek  showed  in  front  at  the  quarter  with  Wil- 
liam Kearney,  Lucille's  Baby  and  Jeremiah  being 
lapped  on  him  as  they  marched  up  the  back  stretch. 
At  the  half  Green's  mare  showed  in  front.  She  re- 
mained there  to  the  finish  in  2:21^.  Del  Monte  was 
fourth,  Graylight  sixth  and  St.  Elmo  distanced.  After 
the  heat  I  brushed  up  against  Ragan  and  on  taking 
him  one  side  learned  that  Charlie  Sing's  $700  was  in 
the  box  and  that  the  Chinaman  would  be  broke  before 
night  or  in  a  position  to  go  back  to  China  and  buy  a 
yellow  button.  I  told  Ragan  the  money  was  as  good 
as  gone  and  he  might  just  as  well  tear  up  the  tickets, 
but  he  smiled  and  said  something  about  its  not  being 
my  funeral. 

Del  Monte  did  not  go  away  very  brisk  in  the 
second  heat.  He  either  did  not  like  the  footing  or  his 
driver  was  not  trying,  which  I  was  not  clever  enough 
to  decide.  The  track  was  soft  and  a  trifle  cuppy,  and 
as  Graylight  was  a  big,  heavy  going  horse  he  marched 
through  it  like  a  quarter  horse.  Bowen  growled  at 
him  when  they  got  the  word  and  away  he  went  up  into 


FAIR   TO   A   CHINAMAN.  95 

the  bunch.  When  they  showed  on  the  back  stretch 
Jock  pulled  him  to  the  outside  and  turned  him  loose. 
From  that  moment  it  was  all  over,  the  heat  going  to 
the  gray  in  2:21^4,  with  the  Baby  second,  Jeremiah 
third  and  Del  Monte  fourth.  On  the  next  trip  it  was 
Graylight  all  the  way,  Del  Monte  pulling  up  in  fifth 
place,  Jeremiah,  Lucille's  Baby  and  William  Kearney 
being  between  him  and  the  leader  in  2:2i^4-  The 
race  then  went  over  on  account  of  darkness.  When 
the  postponement  was  announced  I  was  grassing  my 
horse  near  the  upper  turn.  As  Ragan  passed  by  I 
asked  him  how  he  liked  it.  Seeing  he  was  worried  I 
thought  it  would  be  a  good  time  to  remind  him  that 
the  race  was  all  over  but  the  announcement  and  had 
he  listened  to  me  he  would  now  have  $650  with  $50 
out  for  me  in  his  inside  pocket.  As  I  said  it  he  looked 
at  me  rather  hard  and  replied,  "That  would  not  have 
been  fair  to  Charlie." 

That  tickled  me.  Fair  to  a  Chinaman.  Who  ever 
heard  of  such  a  thing?  "Ragan,"  said  I,  as  I  walked 
off  towards  the  stables,  "you  are  in  need  of  a  guar- 
dian," and  I  meant  it. 

How  Ragan  and  the  Chinaman  put  in  the  night  I 
don't  know,  but  both  of  them  were  out  at  the  Island 
next  morning.  I  spotted  them  before  the  bell  rang, 
but  kept  shy  of  the  pair.  With  the  wind  blowing  a 
gale  and  the  dust  flying,  almost  every  one  kept  under 
cover,  as  it  was  cold  enough  for  October.  Thinks  I, 
Ragan  and  his  partner  have  a  chill,  a  frost  bite  as  it 
were.  About  race  time  some  one  knocked  at  my  stall 
door.  I  crawled  over,  and  peeking  through  a  knot 
hole  saw  Ragan  and  Charlie  Sing.  The  door  was 
hooked,  and  as  I  knew  they  had  no  money  I  was  not 


96  CHARLIE   SING. 

at  home.  In  a  few  minutes  they  went  away  and  I  saw 
no  more  of  them  until  the  following  day. 

The  story  of  the  race  is  soon  told.  When  the 
horses  were  called  half  of  them  were  "froze  solid." 
Lucille's  Baby  when  scoring  rolled  about  like  a  rock- 
ing horse,  while  Graylight  was  so  badly  tied  up  that 
Bowen  could  scarcely  get  him  up  in  his  position.  On 
the  other  hand  the  cold  air  appeared  to  have  pumped 
a  little  speed  into  Del  Monte.  He  was  up  in  his  place 
and  kept  Geers  and  Feek  busy  to  come  head  and  head 
with  him.  When  the  word  was  given  the  seven  of 
them  whirled  away  to  the  turn  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 
When  they  emerged  in  the  second  turn  Feek  was  in 
front  with  Lucille's  Baby  at  his  wheel.  Company 
made  a  break  and  was  seen  no  more  until  the  follow- 
ing week  at  Hartford.  Graylight  was  the  next  one  to 
stub  his  toe,  and  as  Del  Monte  stepped  up  into  second 
place  at  the  half  Lucille's  Baby  was  in  the  air.  Com- 
pany, Graylight  and  Lucille's  Baby  were  still  dancing 
on  the  back  stretch  when  Del  Monte  passed  Kearney 
near  the  three-quarter  pole.  For  the  next  half  minute 
there  was  some  thinking  done  on  the  Island,  as  Del 
Monte  came  on  and  won  the  heat  by  three  open 
lengths  in  2:21^,  while  the  red  flag  fell  with  the 
favorite,  Graylight,  Lucille's  Baby  the  only  other 
heat  winner,  and  Company  on  the  wrong  side  of  it. 
After  the  heat  it  was  found,  as  I  have  stated,  that 
Graylight  was  tied  up  by  the  cold  and  that  Lucille's 
Baby  had  a  case  of  temporary  congestion.  As  for 
what  the  betting  fraternity  had,  you  can  guess. 

In  the  fifth  heat  Del  Monte  led  from  start  to  finish, 
Jeremiah  getting  the  place  from  William  Kearney  and 
Eclipse  fourth.  When  the  non-heat  winners  were 


DEL  MONTE   WINS.  97 

sent  to  the  stable  Del  Monte  jogged  over  the  course  in 
2:37%.  This  made  all  of  Charlie  Sing's  tickets  good. 
That  night  Ragan  walked  in  as  brave  as  a  lion,  cashed 
his  tickets  and  took  the  roll  to  the  Chinaman.  I 
learned  later  that  they  divided  it.  Charlie  Sing  took 
his  portion  and  started  for  China,  while  Ragan  bought 
a  stable  up  York  State  and  went  into  business  for 
himself. 

The  following  winter  I  learned  where  the  tip  came 
from.  As  it  was  told  me,  the  parties  who  had  Del 
Monte  shipped  to  Albany  after  their  horse  lost  to 
Ernest  Maltravers  at  Beacon.  As  they  wanted  a  little 
laundry  work  done,  they,  by  accident  I  suppose, 
dropped  into  Charlie  Sing's.  He  pulled  over  the 
bundle  and  handed  the  man  one  of  his  crow  track 
checks.  The  man  would  not  take  it,  but  handed 
Charlie  one  of  Morse's  pool  tickets  with  Del  Monte 
written  on  it.  Showing  Charlie  that  he  had  another 
one  like  it  he  gave  him  to  understand  that  that  would 
be  his  check.  Charlie  hung  fire  a  little,  as  he  had 
been  compelled  at  different  times  to  make  good  for 
lost  clothes,  but  finally  pinned  the  ticket  on  the  bundle 
and  threw  it  under  the  counter.  Ho  told  Ragan  about 
it.  They  kept  talking  it  over  until  Charlie  Sing  got 
Del  Monte  on  the  brain.  You  know  the  balance. 


BILL  HOOD. 


Oh,  <what  a  tangled  web  we  weave 
When  first  we  practice  to  deceive. — Scott. 

Bill  Hood  was  a  trader  pure  and  simple.  He  never 
did,  would,  or  I  doubt  if  he  could,  pursue  any  other 
calling.  When  I  first  met  him  horses  were  his  speci- 
alty, and  if  he  is  now  in  the  land  of  the  living  he  is,  in 
all  probability,  still  making  exchanges  in  that  staple. 
When  a  boy  at  school  he  was  noted  as  the  most  in- 
veterate "swopper"  in  the  district.  There  was  noth- 
ing vmder  the  sun  he  would  not  trade  for  if  he  could 
get  a  little  boot,  as  trading  was  with  him  from  the 
first  a  business  and  not  a  pastime.  There  was  a  story 
in  the  neighborhood  where  I  first  met  him  that  in  a 
measure  showed  how  thoroughly  this  passion  perme- 
ated his  system  even  as  a  boy.  As  it  was  told  to  me, 
his  Aunt  Lucy  lived  on  an  adjoining  farm.  She  had  no 
children  and  Bill  was  her  favorite ;  but  as  she  was  very 
close  there  was  never  any  presents  coming  from  that 
source. 

The  spring  that  "Willie"  (that  is  what  she  called 
him)  was  twelve  years  old  Aunt  Lucy  traded  a  calfskin 
with  a  traveling  peddler  for  a  buck-horn  handled  pocket 
knife.  She  showed  it  to  her  Willie  when  he  called 
and  let  him  have  it  to  make  a  bundle  of  shavings  to 
kindle  the  fire  next  morning.  The  knife  was  sharp 
and  strong,  and  as  it  slipped  through  the  straight  fibre 
of  the  cedar  sticks,  Bill  made  up  his  mind  that  he 
wanted  it  and  must  have  it.  How  to  get  it  he  did  not 


AUNT    LUCY.  99 

know,  but  fortune  soon  smiled  on  him,  and  if  some 
people  are  to  be  believed,  the  fair  dame  still  continues 
her  attentions. 

Aunt  Lucy  had  a  maiden  lady  friend  who  lived  on 
the  road  north  of  the  schoolhouse.  She  made  a  prac- 
tice of  calling  on  her  every  Friday  afternoon  and 
timed  herself  so  as  to  return  at  four  o'clock,  when  the 
children  would  be  dismissed  for  the  day.  On  this  par- 
ticular Friday  a  rain  storm  came  up  while  she  was 
walking  home,  and  as  it  was  rather  sudden,  she  was 
not  prepared  for  it.  When  she  reached  the  school  the 
door  was  locked,  the  teacher  being  a  judge  of  the 
weather,  having  dismissed  school  early  in  the  hope  of 
his  pupils  getting  home  before  the  storm  broke.  Aunt 
Lucy's  home  was  the  nearest  house,  and  it  was  a  mile 
away.  The  rain  had  not  started,  but  it  looked  as 
though  it  would  do  so  at  any  moment.  So  Aunt  Lucy 
gathered  up  the  skirt  of  her  new  gingham  dress  and 
started  for  home  as  rapidly  as  she  could. walk.  She 
was  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  from  the  school 
when  the  big  rain  drops  began  to  patter  on  the  leaves 
and  stir  up  little  puffs  of  dust  on  the  road.  Up  went 
Aunt  Lucy's  skirt  over  her  head  in  the  hope  of  saving 
her  hat,  and  letting  the  lining  of  her  skirt — something 
she  always  insisted  on — take  the  wetting.  On  she 
sped  as  the  rain  began  to  come  down  harder  and 
harder,  while  the  wind  rose  and  fell  in  such. a  way  as 
to  make  you  feel  creepy  and  think  of  Kansas  twisters. 
As  Aunt  Lucy  came  to  the -corners,  which  was  half 
way  home  for  her,  who  should  she  see  sitting  on  a 
boulder  by  the  side  of  the  road  but  "Willie"  with  a 
green  cotton  umbrella  over  his  head.  My,  but  she 
was  pleased  and  so  was  Willie.  She  was  sure  he  had 


100  BILL    HOOD. 

come  to  meet  her  and  Willie  did  not  have  an/  doubt 
on  the  subject. 

"Oh,  Willie,"  said  Aunt  Lucy,  as  soon  as  she  could 
get  a  breath  and  had  brushed  her  loose  hair  out  of  her 
eyes,  "you  are  a  love  of  a  boy  and  so  I  always  told 
Mary,"  that  was  Willie's  mother.  "Jump  over  the 
ditch  and  let  me  have  that  umbrel',  quick." 

But  instead  of  rushing  towards  her,  Willie  slid 
over  back  of  the  stone,  taking  the  green  cotton  um- 
brella with  him. 

"My  sakes  alive!"  said  Aunt  Lucy,  "what  do  you 
mean,  child?  Don't  you  see  I  am  getting  wet  and 
spoiling  every  stitch  of  clothes  on  me?  I'm  a  fright. 
Come  here  this  minute  and  give  me  that  umbrel'  or  I'll 
spank  you  until  you'll  see  more  stars  than  there  are  in 
the  Yankee  flag." 

As  Wrillie  did  not  move  she  dropped  her  skirts, 
jumped  the  ditch  and  made  a  dash  for  him.  He 
dodged  around  the  stone  and  hopped  onto  the  road. 
Just  then  there  was  a  lull  in  the  rain,  but  it  could  be 
plainly  seen  that  there  was  more  coming.  This  led 
to  a  parley,  and,  as  the  story  was  told  to  me,  Willie 
proposed  trading  the  umbrella  for  the  buck-horn 
handled  knife.  Aunt  Lucy  would  not  hear  of  it,  so 
Willie  said  he  would  go  home  and  take  the  umbrella 
with  him.  Just  then  the  rain  started  again  and  Aunt 
Lucy  surrendered.  Willie  closed  the  umbrella  and, 
after  tossing  it  across  the  ditch,  started  for  home  on  a 
run.  Aunt  Lucy  also  learned  on  reaching  home  that 
her  husband  had  sent  Willie  with  an  umbrella,  which 
he  had  brought  from  town,  to  meet  her  while  he  went 
to  the  pasture  to  get  the  cows  up  before  the  storm. 
Aunt  Lucv  was  what  they  termed  "riled,"  in  that 


THE    RECORD   TRADE.  101 

neighborhood,  but  a  bargain  was  a  bargain,  and  to 
keep  her  husband  from  laughing  at  her,  she  gave  the 
young  scamp  the  knife. 

When  I  first  met  Bill  Hood  he  was  a  man  of  thirty- 
five  or  forty,  with  flaming  red  hair  worn  rather  long, 
and  a  beard  that  was  twisted  and  matted  after  the 
style  artists  represent  Jews  in  the  comic  papers.  He 
had  a  high,  thin  nose,  sharp  at  the  point  and  ferret-like 
gray  eyes,  while  the  backs  of  his  big  hands  were  marked 
with  freckles  the  size  of  a  quarter.  Every  time  he  offered 
to  shake  hands  with  me  these  spots  put  me  in  mind 
of  the  little  sunfish  which  I  caught  on  a  pin  hook  as  a 
boy,  and  there  was  just  about  as  much  warmth  to  his 
grasp.  Those  who  knew  Bill  Hood  well  said  he  was 
a  good  neighbor  and  a  clever  man,  as  the  term  goes 
in  this  world,  but  I  never  could  believe  it  and  I  won't. 
He  was  always  trying  to  get  the  best  of  the  other 
fellow  and  had  been  at  it  so  long  that  I  doubt  if  he 
could  "break  even"  on  any  question  from  the  weather 
up.  Hood,  however,  had  one  peculiarity,  and  that  was 
he  never  would  boast  of  sharp  work  or  try  to  air  his 
cuteness.  It  was  common  report  in  the  neighborhood 
that  he  took  the  money  and  let  those  who  paid  the 
piper  do  the  dancing.  As  a  rule,  they  had  little  to  say. 
You  ask  why?  Well,  what  can  a  man  say  when  he 
gets  the  worst  of  a  horse  trade.  One  rainy  afternoon, 
however,  over  a  bottle  of  whisky  and  water,  Bill  Hood 
told  of  an  exchange  that  should  be  placed  on  record. 
As  the  story  and  the  sequel  were  related  for  my  benefit 
I  will  endeavor  to  reproduce  what  was  said,  but  it  will 
fall  far  short  of  the  original. 

When  Bill  Hood  sat  down,  he  always  tilted  his 
chair  against  the  wall,  pulled  his  slouch  hat  over  his 


102  BILL   HOOD. 

eyes,  as  if  the  light  hurt  them,  and  twisted  one  leg 
around  the  other.  Then  with  both  hands  shoved  into 
his  trouser  pockets  he  would  talk  if  in  the  humor.  If 
not,  it  was  "Yes"  or  "No,"  and  let  it  go  at  that.  This 
afternoon  he  was  in  the  humor  and  he  ran  on  in  this 
vein : 

"It  will  be  two  years  in  March  since  I  made  an  ex- 
change in  horesflesh  that  pleased  me.  I  had  a  clever 
brown  horse  about  fifteen  one,  which  had  nothing  but  a 
little  jack.  He  was  in  the  team  when  I  drove  into 
town  the  day  before  the  fair.  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  come  over  early  to  have  a  talk  with  the  buyers.  As 
I  drove  into  the  yard  I  noticed  a  thick  set  man  stand-- 
ing under  the  shed.  He  had  a  double  whiffletree  pin 
in  his  tie  and  a  horseshoe  dangling  at  the  end  of  a  fob 
chain.  Thinks  I,  that  must  be  a  swell  coachman  from 
the  city.  What  can  he  be  here  for.  He  seemed  to 
know  me,  although  I  did  not  remember  having  seen 
him  before.  As  soon  as  I  had  put  up  my  team  he 
walked  over  towards  me,  and  after  bidding  me  the 
time  of  day,  asked  if  I  had  a  horse  worth  buying.  As 
soon  as  he  opened  his  mouth  I  knew  he  was  an  Eng- 
lisher,  and  his  whole  bearing  impressed  me  as  one  of 
those  gents  who  think  they  know  more  about  a  horse 
than  the  man  who  first  made  them.  As  I  was  not 
very  anxious  to  do  any  business  just  then,  and  especi- 
ally with  this  man,  as  for  some  reason  or  other  I  had 
taken  a  dislike  to  him  at  first  sight — you  will  do  that 
sometimes — I  said  that  I  had  not  and  walked  into  the 
hotel. 

"That  night  at  supper  the  Englishman  again  struck 
up  a  conversation,  and  under  the  conditions  there  was 
no  getting  away  from  him  without  leaving  the  table. 


THE    ENGLISHMAN.  103 

I  soon  saw  from  the  way .  he  was  drifting  that  he 
wanted  my  brown  horse  and,  according  to  his  talk,  he 
had  one  that  he  wanted  to  trade  in  on  account,  as  the 
storekeepers  say.  Well,  one  word  led  to  another  and 
by  the  time  we  had  satisfied  the  wants  of  the  inner 
man,  he  had  me  out  in  the  yard  to  look  at  his  horse. 
It  was  dark  by  that  time,  but  I  was  not  so  very  par- 
ticular so  long  as  I  could  get  a  glimpse  of  the  horse 
with  a  stable  lantern  and  have  a  chance  to  run  my 
hand  over  his  head  and  legs.  The  Englishman  had 
seen  my  horse  when  I  drove  into  the  yard.  That  was 
one  point  in  his  favor,  but  as  he  was  doing  the  trading, 
if  I  did  not  want  to  make  the  shift  all  I  had  to  do  was 
to  say  'No.' 

"On  entering  the  stable  he  walked  into  a  wide  stall 
and  led  out  a  high-headed  bay  gelding  sixteen  hands 
full,  with  black  legs  and  a  tail  that  touched  the  floor. 
His  mane  was  long  and  wavy,  while  his  foretop 
almost  touched  the  tip  of  his  nose.  From  the  way  he 
peeked  about  the  stable  I  knew  that  his  eyes  were  all 
right,  and  as  there  was  bran  on  his  nose,  I  could  see 
he  had  been  feeding  on  something  that  the  man  with 
a  double  whifHetree  on  his  tie  would  not  be  giving 
to  a  nag  which  had  trouble  with  his  wind.  Aside  from 
a  couple  of  wind  puffs  his  legs  were  clean,  while  he 
walked  as  limber  as  an  eel,  although  he  appeared  a 
trifle  dull,  as  he  moved  off  after  standing  a  minute  or 
two.  I  could  not  for  the  life  of  me  find  a  hole  in  him ; 
still  the  man  wanted  to  swap.  His  mouth  showed 
him  to  be  ten  years  old,  and  that  was  about  all  I  could 
object  to,  other  than  his  coat  felt  dry  and  hard;  still 
you  might  expect  that  from  a  horse  kept  up  on  dry 
feed  all  winter.  As  I  had  nothing  to  say,  I  kept  look- 


104  BILL   HOOD. 

ing  and  looking,  and  finally  walked  over  to  the  stalls 
where  my  horses  were,  to  straighten  their  blankets.  As 
the  Englisher  had  introduced  the  subject,  I  finally  had 
to  remark  that  he  had  a  likely  looking  horse.  He 
thought  so.  Then  there  was  another  spell  of  silence. 
I  will  admit  the  horse  pleased  me,  but  I  was  shy,  as 
he  looked  too  good  for  the  surroundings. 

"Pulling  up  a  chair,  I  sat  down  near  a  stove  that 
was  in  a  little  harness  room  at  one  side  of  the  en- 
trance. The  bay  horse  was  put  back  in  his  stall,  and 
as  it  was  near  the  office,  I  could  hear  him  go  to  eating 
right  away.  In  a  minute  or  two  the  Englisher  came 
in  and  opened  the  ball  by  remarking  that  he  wanted  to 
exchange  that  horse  for  a  smaller  one  to  mate  one  he 
had  at  home.  As  I  nodded,  he  followed  up  the  remark 
that  he  allowed  the  brown  horse  in  my  team  would 
suit.  I  then  asked  him  if  I  would  back  my  horse  out 
on  the  floor,  and  he  said  'No,'  as  he  had  had  a  good 
look  at  him  when  I  drove  in,  and  that  was  enough  for 
a  man  with  an  eye  for  a  horse.  I  allowed  it  was,  and 
the  conversation  stopped  again.  Somehow  I  did  not 
feel  like  trading,  even  if  the  big  horse  did  please  me, 
but  I  could  see  from  the  way  that  the  Englishman 
fidgeted  about  on  his  chair  that  he  was  getting  anxi- 
ous. Three  or  four  men  came  into  the  harness  room, 
but  as  there  was  no  place  for  them  to  sit  down  they 
passed  out  with  a  'Good  night,'  and  walked  into  the 
house.  As  the  fire  in  the  stove  was  getting  low,  and 
there  was  no  wood  in  the  box,  I  had  almost  made  up 
my  mind  to  go  into  the  hotel,  when  the  Englishman 
asked  me  how  I  would  trade.  I  was  not  looking  for 
that,  as  I  thought  after  showing  me  such  a  toppy 
horse  he  would  play  a  waiting  game,  and  as  the  brown 


TALKING  IT   OVER.  105 

did  not  stand  me  very  high,  I  said,  just  as  a  feeler  like, 
'I  will  take  twenty-five.'  'Give  you  twenty,'  says  he, 
as  quick  as  a  flash,  and  as  I  lifted  one  leg  over  the 
other  I  remarked,  'Neighbor,  you  have  traded/ 

"That  was  all  there  was  to  it.  He  handed  me  the 
money,  and  after  the  horses  were  shifted  in  the  stalls 
and  blankets  changed  we  walked  into  the  house,  had  a 
drink  and  went  to  bed.  George,  pointing  to  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  house,  was  in  the  bar  at  the  time.  For 
some  reason  or  other  I  could  not  sleep.  Thoughts  of 
that  natty  looking  bay  bothered  me.  I  just  itched  to 
have  a  drive  behind  him,  and  as  I  could  see  the  moon 
shining  outside  I  made  up  my  mind  to  do  it,  even  if  it 
did  look  a  little  looney. 

"By  that  time  it  was  near  midnight,  and  when  I 
came  down  stairs  the  man  was  getting  ready  to  close 
the  house.  I  told  him  that  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  drive  over  home  and  come  back  in  the  morning. 
He  stirred  up  the  stableman,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I 
was  on  the  road.  When  I  spoke  to  the  bay  horse  I 
saw  he  acted  rather  dull,  but  that  did  not  surprise  me. 
As  soon  as  I  cleared  the  town  I  gave  him  a  cut  with 
the  whip  and  started  on  a  five-mile  drive  at  a  rate  that 
would  soon  take  me  over  the  road.  After  passing 
what  I  called  the  half-way  house  the  new  horse  began 
to  lag.  I  gave  him  a  cut  with  the  whip,  but  it  did  not 
seem  to  do  him  any  good.  The  horse  that  he  was 
hooked  with  was  a  regular  steam  engine  when  it  came 
to  reading,  and  he  soon  had  the  collar  slipping  up  on 
his  neck.  As  soon  as  he  did  not  offer  to  balk  I  had  a 
half  idea  that  it  was  a  case  of  staggers,  and  the  clip 
which  I  had  driven  him  with  a  full  stomach  had  a  ten- 
dency to  bring  it  on.  Pulling  the  team  to  a  walk,  I  let 


106  BILL    HOOD. 

.them  poke  along  at  their  own  gait,  but  it  was  too  late, 
as  my  picture  horse  began  to  twitch  his  ears,  then 
shake  his  head,  and  finally  trembled  all  over  like  a 
leaf  on  a  poplar  tree.  I  pulled  out  my  knife  and  was 
ready  to  bleed  him  if  he  should  drop ;  but  he  stopped 
short  of  that,  and  after  a  breathing  spell  I  jogged 
home." 

At  this  point  Bill  Hood  looked  across  the  table  at 
George,  the  proprietor  of  the  house,  and  in  a  drawling 
Mark  Twain  style,  asked  him  to  tell  the  next  chapter 
while  he  walked  over  to  the  store  to  buy  a  few  things. 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the  landlord  laid  his 
pipe  on  the  table,  and  after  taking  a  nip  "to  get  every- 
thing in  running  order,"  as  he  remarked,  when  pour- 
ing it  out,  started  with  a  narrative  that  did  not  appear 
to  me  to  have  any  connection  with  Bill  Hood  or  his 
trade.  Stripped  of  what  he  considered  clever  re- 
marks, his  story  was  as  follows : 

"There  is  always  more  horse  selling  and  trading  at 
the  March  fair  than  at  any  of  the  other  three  during 
the  year.  Those  who  are  looking  for  two  or  three 
horses  to  put  in  the  crops  with  are  in  the  market  and 
will  buy,  while  the  stock  which  has  been  wintered 
carefully  or  otherwise,  is  offered  for  sale  at  that  time. 
Then  you  can  always  look  for  the  out-of-town  buyers. 
They  come  here  regularly,  and  when  a  buyer  sees  a 
sound  one  that  will  do  for  the  city  trade  he  picks  it  up 
at  a  fair  price.  It  is  true  that  they  buy  close,  but  not 
as  close  as  the  horse  dealer,  who  usually  has  three  or 
four  he  has  been  patching  up  on  soft  feed  all  winter 
and  will  not  make  a  deal  unless  they  can  slip  one  in. 
Not  one  of  them  but  knows  that  a  good  horse  does  not 
eat  any  more  than  a  skate,  and  if  they  can  make  a  turn 


THE   UNKNOWN.  107 

they  are  just  so  much  ahead.  Two  years  ago  I  had 
plenty  of  help,  as  my  boys  were  at  home,  so  I  was  out 
around  considerable  and  seen  all  that  was  going  on. 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  fair  that  Bill  referred  to,  I 
was  at  the  fair  grounds  looking  up  eld  acquaintances 
and  making  a  few  new  ones,  which  is  something  all 
hotel  men  must  do  if  they  want  to  get  along  in  the 
world.  I  had  just  had  a  word  with  a  friend  of  mine 
from  'the  other  side," — by  that  I  mean  a  New  York 
Stater, — when  a  swell  looking  city  rig  drove  into  the 
show  ring.  I  had  never  seen  a  rig  like  it  in  those 
parts  up  to  that  time,  and  when  the  horse  stepped 
around  in  front  of  me,  I  did  nothing  but  stare.  He 
was  clipped,  and,  by  the  way,  it  was  the  first  clipped 
one  I  remember  having  seen  in  this  town ;  his  tail  was 
cut  off  square  above  his  hocks,  and  mane  was  pulled 
until  it  looked  as  light  and  fleecy  as  a  colt's.  The 
driver  was  a  spruce  looking  young  man,  wearing  a 
wide-rimmed  soft  felt  hat,  light-colored  coat  with  a 
velvet  collar  and  a  pair  of  tan-colored  gloves.  A 
middle-aged  man  of  clerical  cut,  smooth  shaved  and 
smiling,  also  occupied  a  seat  in  the  carriage.  No  one 
paid  any  attention  to  the  pair,  all  eyes  being  levelled 
at  the  horse.  It  would  have  done  you  good  to  see 
him  march  around  that  ring,  while  the  sun  fairly  glit- 
tered on  the  silver  mountings  of  the  harness  that  he 
carried.  There  were  some  twisted  letters  on  the 
blinders  and  hip  straps,  but  no  one  had  time  to  make 
them  out,  and  they  would  not  have  been  a  bit  wiser  if 
they  had. 

"More  than  one  buyer  spotted  that  horse  as  a  blue 
ribbon  winner  for  the  horse  show,  if  he  had  not 
already  paraded  on  the  tan  bark.  At  least,  that  is  the 


108  BIIX   HOOD 

way  I  heard  them  talk  about  them  when  they  sighted 
a  stylish  one.  After  stepping  around  the  ring  two  or 
three  times,  I  do  not  remember  now  which,  but  it  does 
not  make  any  difference,  the  young  man  pulled  up 
short,  and  tipping  his  hat  to  the  spectators,  said,  'Gen- 
tlemen, how  do  you  like  him  ?'  As  he  stood  the  horse 
did  not  appear  to  like  the  curb  bit  and  kept  champing 
it,  while  his  arched  neck,  with  the  foam  flecks  down 
the  front  of  it,  gave  him  a  showy  look.  Every  foot 
was  in  its  place  as  he  stood  there,  the  admired  of  all, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  someone  asked  if  he  was 
for  sale. 

"  'Why,  what  would  I  have  him  here  for  if  he  were 
not  for  sale  or  trade,'  smiled  the  young  man ;  but  not 
one  in  ten  of  those  who  were  looking  at  him  supposed 
he  meant  it,  while  the  middle-aged  man  also  smiled 
and  bowed  with  the  politeness  of  a  dancing  master. 

"  'What  do  you  ask  for  him?'  whispered  a  big  man 
in  a  snuff-colored  suit,  as  he  leaned  over  the  wheel. 

"  'How  much  will  you  give?'  asked  the  young  man, 
while  a  smile  like  sunshine  continued  to  spread  over 
the  bland  countenance  of  his  companion. 

"  'How  old  is  he?'  asked  another. 

"  'Look  in  his  mouth  and  satisfy  yourself,'  said  the 
young  man.  And  so  it  went  on.  He  would  not  name 
a  price  and  no  one  would  make  a  bid.  Finally  a  big 
man  in  snuff-colored  clothes  whispered  something 
in  the  young  man's  ear.  He  shook  his  head  and  acted 
as  as  though  he  were  going  to  drive  off. 

"At  this  point  a  round-faced  man  wearing  a  checked 
suit  of  unmistakeable  English  pattern  and  cut, 
elbowed  his  way  into  the  ring,  and  after  taking  a  look 
at  the  horse  said,  'Young  man,  hif  you  will  drive  down 
to  the  hinn  hi  will  buy  that  'orse.' 


SHOWING   THE   GOODS.  109 

"  'Will  you  ?'  said  the  young  man. 

"  'Yes,  hi  will/  was  the  reply. 

"  'Well,  if  you  want  him  you  will  have  to  buy  him 
here.  This  is  the  first  horse  I  ever  sold,  and  as  he  is  a 
good  one  I  am  going  to  sell  him  on  the  fair  grounds, 
just  as  he  stands  before  everybody,  or  I  will  keep  him. 
So  if  you  'want  him,'  continued  the  young  man  in  the 
soft  hat,  'speak  quick.  I  don't  know  what  he  is  worth, 
but  I  can  consider  an  offer.'  With  this  remark  the 
clerical  gent  looked  happier  than  ever.  Everyone  ex- 
pected that  he  would  say  something,  but  he  did  not. 

"  'You're  a  queer  'un,'  replied  the  Englishman,  'but 
hif  you  will  take  a  'orse  hin  trade  hi'll  try  and  make  a 
deal  with  you.' 

"  'Let  me  see  what  you  have'  replied  the  young 
man  with  a  spirit  that  was  refreshing,  'and  I'll  con- 
sider, as  I  may  want  something  to  pull  the  rig  out  of 
town,  unless  you  will  take  the  whole  outfit.' 

The  Englishman  sent  a  boy  for  the  horse  he  had 
of  Bill  Hood.  When  led  up  alongside  of  the  clipped 
one  wearing  the  silver-mounted  harness  he  looked  like 
a  deuce  spot  up  against  a  king  full,  and  the  young  man 
began  to  laugh  as  he  said,  'Is  that  what  you  want  me 
to  trade  for?' 

"  'That's  hit,'  said  the  Englishman,  'and  hi'll  let 
you  have  hit  with  $300  for  your  'orse.' 

"  'Oh  now,  you're  joking,'  said  the  young  man. 

"  'No  hi  ham  not,'  said  the  Englishman,  as  he  un- 
buttoned his  vest  and  pulled  out  a  wallet,  while  every- 
body roared. 

"  'Do  not  be  so  speedy,  my  friend,'  said  the  young 
man.  'That  horse  you  have  is  only  fit  to  pull  my 
traps  home,  but  rather  than  not  make  a  trade  when  I 
feel  like  it,  if  you  say  $400,  it's  a  go.' 


110  BILL   HOOD. 

"The  Englishman  hesitated  and  finally  shook  his 
head,  but  after  taking  another  look  at  the  horse  said, 
"Hi  will  make  you  a  sporting  hoffer.  Split  the  differ- 
ence, say  three  fifty  and  the  gelding/ 

"Half  a  do^en  said  'Don't  you  do  it.  He  is  worth 
more,'  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  while  the  Englishman 
looked  daggers  at  those  who  were  making  the  demon- 
stration. The  young  man  never  moved  an  eyelash 
until  all  was  quiet,  when,  without  even  looking  to- 
wards his  companion,  he  said,  'You've  traded.  Hand 
over  the  coin  and  we  will  change  them  here.'  The 
money  was  paid,  the  hors-es  shifted,  and  inside  of  five 
minutes  the  young  man  with  the  swell  city  rig  and 
clerical-looking  companion  had  disappeared  behind 
Bill  Hood's  gelding. 

"Everyone  said  that  the  Englishman  had  bought 
the  best  horse  at  the  fair,  and  as  he  was  feeling  good 
over  the  bargain,  all  of  the  acquaintances  that  he  had 
made  had  several  rounds  with  him  at  the  bar. 

"About  dusk  Bill  Hood  drove  into  town  behind  an 
old  gray  horse.  All  of  the  best  stock  had  been  dis- 
posed of  by  that  time  and  the  dealers  were  getting 
them  ready  to  ship  in  the  cars  or  start  over  the  road. 
As  some  expressed  a  little  surprise  that  he  had  not 
been  at  the  fair,  Bill  said  that  his  brother  and  nephew 
had  come  on  from  the  west  that  day  to  see  him,  and  as 
he  was  not  feeling  very  well  he  thought  he  would  stay 
at  home  and  visit.  One  word  led  to  another  until  Bill 
was  told  of  the  fine  show  horse  that  the  Englishman 
had  purchased  from  a  stranger,  and  how  he  had  traded 
in  his  old  gelding. 

"  'You  don't  say,'  said  Bill ;  "Well,  that  is  too  bad. 


BREAKING   THE   NEWS.  Ill 

I  don't  like  to  see  that  one  leave  the  neighborhood,  as 
I  have  owned  him  at  least  a  dozen  times  and  he  is  a 
rare  good  one.' 

In  a  short  time  the  Englishman  with  the  double 
whiffletree  pin  in  his  tie  elbowed  his  way  into  the 
group  and  saluted  Bill  Hood  with  a  nod,  as  he  told 
him  he  had  traded  off  the  gelding. 

"  'You  should  not  have  done  it,'  said  Bill. 

"  'Why  not?'  asked  the  Englishman. 
'  'Because  he  is  a  better  horse  than  the  one  you  let 
me  have,'  said  Bill,  as  he  shortened  the  reins  and  pre- 
pared to  drive  off. 

"  'What  did  you  do  with  'im  ?'  asked  the  English- 
man with  a  half  smile,  in  which  more  than  one  of  the 
bystanders  joined. 

'  'Let  you  have  him  back  again,'  said  Bill  with  a 
drawl,  as  he  gave  the  gray  a  cut  with  the  whip  and 
started  down  the  street  on  a  gallop." 


THE  OLD  FAVORITE. 


In  the  field  th^  old  horse  looked  neglected  and  gray, 
With  the  burrs  in  his  tail  and  his  mane  all  awry. 

A  wet  spot  on  his  side  showed  he'd  rolled  in  the  clay, 
But  the  years  had  not  dimmed  the  wild  glint  of  his 
eye. 

When  I  called  him  he  came  on  the  old  fashioned  trot, 
About  which  the  reporters  made  many  a  note, 

And  as  soon  as  he  stopped  at  the  gate  of  the  lot, 

He  was  nosing  for  sweets,  in  the  sleeve  of  my  coat. 

'Twas  a  trick  he'd  been  taught,  in  his  old  racing  days, 
And  to  see  him  remember  it  made  my  heart  long 

For  the  lads,  who  had  gone  on  their  different  ways, 
Since  the  days  of  my  youth  when  one's  hopes  are  so 
strong. 

When  I  touched  his  soft  muzzle  and  felt  his  warm 

breath 

On  the  hand  that  had  reined  him  in  many  a  race, 
I  could  feel  we  were  friends,  and  would  be  until  death ; 
And  the  thought  brought  a  sigh,  though  it  seemed 
out  of  place. 

As  I  looked  at  him  then  I  remembered  the  day 

When  he  first  caught  my  fancy  and  made  my  heart 

bound, 

As  he  stood  on  the  track  one  bright  morning  in  May, 
With  his  head  in  the  air,  while  his  tail  touched  the 
ground. 


THE   OLD    FAVORITE.  115 

The  bright  light  in  his  eye  spoke  of  courage  and  pride, 

While  his  shimmering  coat  told  the  world  he  was  fit, 

And  the  net-work  of  veins  could  be  seen  through  his 

hide, 

As  he  stamped  with  impatience  and  strained  on  the 
bit. 

When  I  tapped  him  he  wheeled  and  dashed  off  for  a 

block, 

On  his  frictionless  gait,  once  so  rapid  and  round, 
Then  side  on  I  could  see  the  slight  flex  of  his  hock 
And   the   low   stride    in    front   barely    clearing   the 
ground. 

It  was  Guy,  the  bad  actor,  the  trotting  machine, 

Of  the  old  sulky  days  when  Maud  S.  held  the  throne, 

The  black  horse  that  taught   Sanders  to  humor  the 

queen, 
But  he's  dead  and  he  sleeps  in  the  meadow  alone. 

There's  no  mark  on  his  grave,  but  his  name  will  retain 
All  the  honors  he  earned  while  the  records  are  kept, 

As  his  antics  caused  thousands  from  Texas  to  Maine 
To  protest  at  his  scoring  and  cheer  when  he  stepped. 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


ALDEN  GOLDSMITH. 


A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear. — Goldsmith. 

In  1724,  when  Queen  Anne,  the  last  of  the  Stuart 
sovereigns,  was  on  the  throne  of  England,  a  man 
named  Goldsmith  was  granted  a  deed  to  a  plot  of  land 
near  what  is  now  known  as  Washingtonville,  in 
Orange  County,  New  York.  He  became  a  farmer  and 
stock  raiser  (although  his  name  would  indicate  that 
his  ancestors  had  followed  a  very  different  calling), 
the  produce  of  his  farm  and  the  adjoining  ones  being 
shipped  to  New  York,  which  was  then,  as  it  is  now, 
the  market  for  everything  produced  in  Orange  County, 
from  eggs  to  race  horses.  The  property  included  in 
the  original  deed  passed  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, through  the  oldest  son,  the  dark  days  of  the 
Revolution  being  passed  without  a  change  being  made 
in  the  ownership  of  the  place,  which,  at  a  very  early 
date,  became  known  as  Walnut  Grove  Farm.  The 
home  of  the  Goldsmiths  was  an  old-fashioned  farm 
house,  standing  on  a  terrace  surrounded  by  hickories 
of  over  a  century's  growth,  and  whose  shadows  flut- 
tered on  a  lawn  sloping  to  the  Otterkill.  In  this  home 
Alden  Goldsmith  and  his  two  sons,  James  and  John, 
were  born,  two  of  them  died  there,  and  all  of  them 
were  borne  from  its  portals  to  the  grave. 


ALDEN   GOLDSMITH.  117 

In  the  seventy-five  years  which  elapsed  between 
Alden  Goldsmith's  birth,  on  December  4,  1820,  and 
John  Alden  Goldsmith's  burial,  in  December,  1895,  a 
new  breed  of  race  horses  was  evolved  on  the  continent 
of  North  America,  and  of  all  who  contributed  to  the 
establishing  and  developing  what  is  now  known  as  the 
"light  harness  horse,"  there  is  no  family  that  has  left 
so  legible  an  impression  on  its  history  from  the  foun- 
dation to  the  top  of  the  arch  as  the  Goldsmiths.  Upon 
the  father  was  cast  the  burden  to  breed  and  develop 
a  family  of  horses  which,  after  breasting 

"The  stings  and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune," 
rushed  on  to  such  an  emphatic  triumph  that  it  will 
stand  for  all  time  as  the  symbol  of  sterling  race  horse 
qualities.  In  the  harness  racing  world,  "as  game  as  a 
Volunteer,"  has  become  a  proverb,  and  the  members 
of  that  family  which  won  the  laurels  for  their  sire,  ex- 
hibited their  courage  and  stamina  in  many  a  split  heat 
contest,  in  which  the  time,  from  start  to  finish,  was  up 
to  the  limit  of  their  speed.  None  of  the  Volunteers 
were  what  has  been  termed  "born  trotters."  They 
learned  the  trotting  step  after  arriving  at  maturity, 
and  it  was  while  assisting  their  father  in  developing 
the  horses  bred  on  or  purchased  for  Walnut  Grove 
Farm  that  James  and  John  Goldsmith  first  showed  the 
light  hand  which  is  such  a  necessary  adjunct  in  the 
natural  endowment  of  a  reinsman  or  rider. 

Alden  Goldsmith's  fondness  for  the  trotter  can  be 
traced  to  the  old  Beacon  Course  back  of  Hoboken,  N. 
J.,  where,  on  August  i,  1839,  as  a  young  man  of  nine- 
teen, he  saw  Hiram  Woodruff  ride  Dutchman  in  his 
match  against  time.  As  the  old-time  champion 
jogged  by  the  stand  under  a  pull,  after  trotting  three 


118  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

miles  in  7:32^,  a  desire  took  possession  of  him  to 
breed  and  own  a  horse  that  could  change  the  figures 
placed  on  record  that  day,  and  unlike  the  many  day 
dreams  of  youth,  he  lived  to  see  the  wish  a  reality, 
when  Huntress,  by  Volunteer,  in  1872,  trotted  three 
miles  to  harness  over  Prospect  Park,  on  Long  Island, 
in  7:21  J4. 

Technically,  Dutchman's  three-mile  record  of 
7:32*^  to  saddle  is  still  unbeaten,  as  that  style  of  rac- 
ing was  no  longer  in  vogue  when  all  of  the  old-time 
records  to  harness  and  to  wagon  were  changed  by  the 
later  day  champions  which  succeeded  him  and  his 
contemporaries.  It  was  also  the  best  on  record  at 
any  way  of  going  in  1866,  when  Hiram  Woodruff's 
book,  "The  Trotting  Horse  of  America,"  was  written 
by  Charles  ].  Foster,  the  following  description  of  the 
performance  being  taken  from  its  pages : 

"The  odds  were  two  to  one  on  Dutchman  when  we 
brought  him  out  and  stripped  him.  At  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening  he  was  saddled,  and  I  mounted,  feeling 
fully  confident  that  the  feat  set  would  be  done  with 
much  ease.  We  were  allowed  a  running  horse  to 
keep  company,  arid  I  had  a  nice  blood-like  mare,  she 
being  under  my  brother,  Isaac. 

"We  went  off  at  a  moderate  jog,  gradually  in- 
creasing the  pace,  but  conversing  part  of  the  way  at 
our  ease.  Isaac  asked  me  how  fast  I  thought  I  could 
go  the  mile,  to  which  I  replied,  "About  two  minutes, 
thirty-five."  It  was  accomplished  in  2111.  34^ s.,  and 
Dutchman  never  really  extended.  Now  occurred  a 
circumstance  which  must  be  related,  because  it  was 
curious  in  itself,  and  had  its  effect  on  the  time.  Mr. 
Harrison,  the  backer  of  Dutchman,  had  lent  his  watch 


ALDEN   GOLDSMITH.  119 

to  a  friend  and  was  ;not  keeping  time  of  the  horses 
himself  as  they  went  around.  As  we  came  by  the 
stand,  some  bystander,  who  had  made  a  mistake  in 
timing,  told  him  that  the  time  of  the  mile  was  2  138, 
which  was  a  losing  average.  He  therefore  called  out 
to  me  as  I  passed  him,  to  go  along,  and  go  along  I  did. 
Dutchman  struck  a  great  pace  on  the  back  stretch, 
and  had  established  such  a  fine  stroke  that  the  run- 
ning mare  was  no  longer  able  to  live  with  him.  My 
brother,  Isaac,  got  alarmed  and  sung  out  to  me  that  I 
was  going  too  fast.  I  replied  that  I  had  been  told  to 
go  along.  It  was  not  my  conviction  that  the  horse 
was  going  too  fast  even  then,  for  if  ever  there  was  one 
that  I  could  feel  of,  and  that  felt  all  over  strong  and 
capable  of  maintaining  the  rate,  Dutchman  did  then. 
Nevertheless,  I  took  a  pull  for  Isaac,  and  allowed  him 
to  come  up  and  keep  company  for  the  balance  of  the 
mile.  It  was  performed  in  2 128  very  handily. 

"The  third  mile  we  kept  the  same  relative  po- 
sitions, Dutchman  being  under  a  good  pull  all  the 
way,  and  able  to  have  left  the  running  mare  had  he 
been  called  upon  to  do  so.  The  rate  was  now  very 
even,  and  it  was  maintained  until  we  were  within 
about  200  yards  of  the  stand,  when  I  was  notified  to 
check  up  and  come  home  at  a  more  moderate  gait.  I 
therefore  crossed  the  score  at  a  jog-trot,  and  Dutch- 
man was  at  a  walk  within  fifteen  yards  of  it.  The  last 
mile  was  2:30,  the  whole  being  7:32^.  Great  as  this 
performance  was  thought  at  the  time,  long  as  it  has 
since  stood  unequalled,  and  great  and  deserved  as  has 
been,  and  is,  the  fame  of  those  who  have  endeavored 
to  surpass  it,  I  declare  that  it  was  not  by  any  means 
all  that  Dutchman  could  have  done  that  day.  I  am 


120  THE   GOLDSMITHS 

positive  that,  if  he  had  been  called  upon  to  do  so,  he 
could  have  trotted  the  three  miles  in  7:27  or  better. 

"As  for  the  second  mile,  which  he  made  in  2 128,  it 
was  one  of  the  easiest  I  ever  rode  in  my  life.  In  the 
great  burst  of^speed  he  made  when  Harrison  called  to 
me  to  go  along,  and  Dutchman  went  away  from  the 
running  mare,  the  horse  was  strong,  collected,  and  his 
long,  quick  stroke  very  even.  At  all  other  times  in 
the  race  he  seemed  to  be  going  well  within  himself; 
and,  in  setting  down  his  mark  that  day  at  seven  min- 
utes twenty-seven  seconds,  I  am  confident  that  I 
allow  him  quite  time  enough.  The  truth  is,  that  he 
was  a  most  extraordinary  horse." 


DUTCHMAN. 


That  trot  no  mortal  could  explain! 

Some  said,  "Old  Dutchman,  come  again!" — Holmes. 

Dutchman  was  eleven  years  old  when  Alden  Gold- 
smith saw  him  trot  three  miles  under  saddle  in  7:32^. 
Prior  to  that  time  he  had  covered  the  same  distance 
in  7:41  to  harness  and  had  defeated  such  old-time 
celebrities  as  Rattler,  Lady  Suffolk  and  Awful. 

When  closing  the  chapters  devoted  to  Dutchman, 
Hiram  Woodruff  expressed  regret  that  nothing  defi- 
nite was  known  of  the  pedigree  of  a  horse  that  had 
proved  so  fast,  so  stout,  so  sound  and  so  determined, 
while  he  also  said :  "When  I  first  saw  Dutchman  he 
was  five  years  old  and  belonged  to  Mr.  Jeffreys,  of 


DUTCHMAN.  121 

Philadelphia.  He  worked  in  a  string  team  and  did 
his  full  share  of  the  hauling.  It  was  found  that  the 
bay  horse  was  a  good  stepper,  and  they  began  to  drive 
him  on  the  road  to  wagon.  He  could  then  go  a  little 
better  than  three  minutes." 

A  few  years  after  the  publication  of  Hiram  Wood- 
ruff's book,  John  H.  Wallace,  the  founder  of  the 
American  Trotting  Register,  and  who  died  May  2, 
1903,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-one,  turned  the  light  on 
Dutchman's  history.  He  relegated  the  string  team 
story  to  the  garret  to  keep  company  with  the  "mile  in 
a  minute"  by  Eclipse  and  Lady  Thorn's  record- 
breaking  trial,  although  H.  N.  Smith,  the  owner  of  the 
mare,  assured  me  personally  that  Dan  Mace  drove  her 
a  mile  in  2:11%.  Wallace  traced  Dutchman  to  his 
breeder,  and  as  the  dash  and  courage  of  the  horse  con- 
vinced Alden  Goldsmith  that  of  all  things  wanted  in  a 
light  harness  horse,  endurance  was  the  most  essential, 
a  few  notes  from  the  pen  of  "the  old  master"  on  the 
subject  would  not  be  out  of  place  as  a  preface  to  the 
work  of  the  man  who  risked  his  all  and  won  on  Volun- 
teer, the  founder  of  a  family  of  race  horses  of  the  same 
stamp : 

"Dutchman  was  a  dark  bay  gelding  about  15.3. 
He  was  foaled  in  .1828,  got  by  Capt.  Tuft's  Tippoo 
Saib,  Jr. ;  dam,  Nettie,  by  Black  Messenger,  son  of  im- 
ported Messenger;  grandam  by  Gray  Swallow. 
David  Denny,  the  breeder  of  Dutchman,  had  two 
mares  that  were  somewhat  distinguished  in  the  neigh- 
borhood ;  the  one  called  China  Leg,  by  Atkinson's 
Gray  Mambrino,  and  the  other,  Nettie,  by  Black  Mes- 
senger. It  was  at  first  represented  that  the  former 
was  the  dam  of  Dutchman ;  but  a  more  thorough  in- 


122  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

vestigation  clearly  establishes  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
black  mare,  and  not  the  gray,  that  produced  Dutch- 
man. This  mare  Nettie  was  a  brownish  black,  about 
i$l/2  hands  high,  powerful  in  form  at  every  point,  and 
was  known  all,  over  the  country  as  a  very  fast  roadster. 
She  was  bred  by  Joseph  Hinchman,  Clarksboro,  Glou- 
cester County,  N.  J.,  and  sold  in  1819,  when  four  years 
old,  to  Thomas  Davidson,  of  Swedesborough,  and  by 
him  transferred  to  his  son-in-law,  John  D.  Norton,  of 
Bridgeport,  Gloucester  County,  N.  J.,  from  whom 
Denny  bought  her.  Both  before  and  after  Denny  got 
her,  she  was  recognized  as  a  very  formidable  animal 
to  encounter,  whether  under  the  saddle  or  in  harness. 
Joseph  Hinchman,  her  breeder,  belonged  to  a  fox- 
hunting club  and  took  great  pains  in  breeding  the  stout 
lasting  sort,  after  the  model  of  the  English  hunter. 
Denny,  although  poor  and  illiterate,  had  a  great  pas- 
sion for  horse  racing,  and  the  leading  aim  of  his  life 
appeared  to  be  to  get  a  horse  that  could  beat  some  of 
the  wealthy  gentlemen  of  that  neighborhood.  With 
that  aim  he  got  Nettie,  intending  to  breed  her  to  Mark 
Antony,  a  noted  son  of  Sir  Archy,  that  had  just  ar- 
rived in  Salem. 

"David  Denny  was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade,  a 
very  industrious  man,  but  he  had  a  fondness  for  grog 
that  often  got  the  better  of  him.  At  this  time  he  lived 
on  what  was  known  as  the  Brick  House  Farm,  a  little 
over  two  miles  from  Salem,  owned  by  Ephriam  Lloyd. 
He  esteemed  Nettie  very  highly,  which  was  evident 
from  the  fact  that,  poor  as  he  was,  he  brought  her  into 
town  to  breed  her  to  the  fashionable  horse  Mark  An- 
tony, at  $30.  But  Captain  Tuft,  or  some  of  his  strikers, 
took  advantage  of  Dave's  weekness,  and  after  a  few 


DUTCHMAN.  123 

drinks  he  was  able  to  see  very  clearly  how  he  could 
save  $25,  so  before  he  left,  his  granddaughter  of  Mes- 
senger was  bred  to  Captain  Tuft's  grandson  of  Mes- 
senger. In  due  time  Nettie  dropped  a  brownish-bay 
colt  nearly  the  color  of  his  sire,  that  grew  up  very 
plain.  As  he  matured,  he  developed  a  most  remark- 
able trotting  step,  and  the  "Denny  colt"  was  talked 
about  all  over  the  country.  Denny  called  him  Tippoo, 
and  drove  him  in  a  one-horse  lumber  wagon,  always 
carrying  a  long  gad  or  whip  to  stir  up  Tippoo,  and 
when  he  got  a  few  drinks  aboard  he  was  exceedingly 
abusive  to  his  horse,  but  still  very  proud  of  him. 
Pennsville,  about  four  miles  from  where  he  lived,  was 
a  favorite  resort  of  his  for  a  drive  and  a  dram.  On  the 
way  there,  and  not  far  from  where  he  lived,  was  a 
schoolhouse,  and  the  'big  boys'  were  always  on  the 
lookout  for  Denny  if  he  -passed  during  play  hours,  and 
if  a  little  drunk,  they  had  their  own  fun  with  him. 
But  one  day  the  fun  turned  out  to  be  at  the  expense 
of  the  boys. 

"As  David  came  along  on  his  accustomed  drive  to 
Pennsville,  a  number  of  the  boys  jumped  into  the 
wagon  for  a  short  ride  and  for  some  jokes  in  the  mean- 
time. He  made  them  sit  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
wagon,  and  then  applied  the  gad  to  Tippoo.  The  pace 
was  so  terrific  that  the  boys  were  afraid  to  jump  out, 
and  David  never  drew  rein  until  he  landed  his  cargo 
at  Pennsville,  three  or  four  miles  from  the  school- 
house.  The  boys  had  to  scamper  back  at  their  best 
speed,  and  then  take  a  sound  thrashing  for  their  ab- 
sence. Whatever  jokes  the  boys  played  on  David 
afterwards,  they  were  always  careful  to  keep  out  of  his 
wagon.  The  speed  of  this  horse  was  certainly  not  the 


124  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

result  of  education,  for  his  owner  was  no  horseman  in 
any  sense  of  the  term.  It  may  be  taken  as  conclusive, 
then,  that  like  so  many  of  the  inbred  Messengers  he 
was  a  natural  trotter.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
while  in  Denny's  hands  he  could  trot  better  than  three 
minutes. 

"About  1834,  Benjamin  Tindall,  a  citizen 'of  Phila- 
delphia, who  had  been  raised  in  Salem,  N.  J.,  and  often 
visited  there,  bought  the  'Denny  colt'  from  David 
Denny  for  $120,  and  took  him  to  Philadelphia  and 
offered  him  for  sale.  Daniel  Jeffreys,  the  brickmaker, 
who  raised  Andrew  Jackson,  looked  at  him,  asked  Tin- 
dall his  price,  which  was  $225,  and  got  permission  to 
try  him  before  he  would  agree  to  take  him.  Jeffreys 
rode  him  out  on  Broad  street,  with  some  of  his  friends 
mounted  on  the  best  roadsters  about  the  city,  and 
they,  one  after  another,  went  at  him,  but  not  one  of 
them  was  able  to  put  the  new  horse  up  to  his  speed. 
Jeffreys  was  more  than  pleased,  returned  to  the  city, 
sent  his  check  by  J.  L.  Hancock  to  Tindall  for  the 
amount,  $225,  and  took  the  horse  to  another  stable. 
He  was  then  named  Flying  Dutchman,  which  was 
soon  reduced  in  usage  to  Dutchman. 

"Before  Mr.  Jeffreys  had  been  happy  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Dutchman  for  any  great  length  of  time,  George 
J.  Weaver  came  into  his  stable  one  day,  and,  half  jocu- 
larly in  manner,  asked  Jeffreys  what  he  would  take  for 
him.  Without  much  thought,  and  supposing  Weaver 
was  not  in  earnest,  Jeffreys  replied  that  he  would  take 
$400,  whereupon  Weaver  promptly  responded  that  he 
would  take  the  horse.  The  transaction  was  regular 
and  there  were  plenty  of  witnesses  to  it.  Jeffreys  was 
chagrined,  but  he  could  not  go  back  on  his  word,  and 


DUTCHMAN.  125 

next  morning  he  offered  Weaver  $100  if  he  would  not 
take  the  horse.  Weaver  replied  that  he  had  bought 
the  horse  for  Peter  Barker,  of  New  York ;  that  he  had 
notified  him  of  the  purchase  by  mail,  and  that  it  was 
too  late  then  to  consider  any  terms  of  compromise 
whatever. 

"It  is  said  that  Dutchman  got  a  few  colts  before 
he  was  castrated,  at  three  years  old,  and  after  he  be- 
came famous  as  a  trotter,  John  Weaver,  the  owner  of 
Andrew  Jackson,  and  some  friends  went  down  to 
Salem  to  pick  them  up.  When  they  went  to  Denny  to 
learn  where  they  could  be  found,  he  flew  into  a 
terrible  passion,  calling  them  thieves,  robbers,  and 
everything  else  that  was  abusive ;  ordered  them  off  his 
premises,  and  would  give  them  no  satisfaction  what- 
ever. It  was  while  Dutchman  was  owned  in  Phila- 
delphia he  lost  an  eye;  but  whether  this  was  caused 
by  a  timothy  stalk  in  his  manger,  as  has  been  gener- 
ally represented,  or  by  the  cruel  treatment  of  his 
former  master  when  on  a  drunken  spree,  cannot  now 
be  determined.  The  story  that  he  was  used  in  a  string 
team  hauling  bricks  is  a  pure  fabrication;  and  the 
same  story  was  told  about  Charcoal  Sal,  the  dam  of 
Andrew  Jackson,  with  about  the  same  amount  of 
truth.  Daniel  Jeffreys  owned  them  both,  and  was  a 
brickmaker,  but  he  was  an  active  participator  in  most 
of  the  trotting  events  of  that  day  about  Philadelphia." 

Cyrus  Lukins,  a  genuine  Monkbarns  in  horse  mat- 
ters in  Philadelphia  and  that  vicinity,  made  a  number 
of  inquiries  from  people  who  knew  all  of  the  parties 
connected  with  this  horse,  and  in  order  to  put  the 
string  team  story  to  sleep  for  all  time,  published  on 


126  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

April  14,  1903,  in  the  "American  Horse  Breeder,"  a 
letter  from  which  the  following  notes  are  taken : 

"Dutchman  was  bred  by  David  Denny,  a  ship  car- 
penter, living  on  Brick  House  Farm,  two  miles  from 
Salem,  N.  J.  He  was  a  poor  man  with  only  one 
brood  mare,  which  he  called  old  Mambrino.  Captain 
Tuft,  of  Salem,  N.  J.,  owned  Tippoo  Saib,  Jr.,  son  of 
thoroughbred  Tippoo  Saib,  by  Messenger.  He  was  a 
large,  plain,  dark  bay  or  brown  stallion,  and  stood  at 
the  low  price  of  $5.  This  was  the  sire  of  the  trotting 
horse  Dutchman,  whose  three  miles  in  7:32^2  always 
aroused  Hiram  Woodruff's  admiration,  and  which  re- 
mained unbeaten  for  so  many  years. 

"Denny  called  the  colt  Tippoo.  In  1834  he  sold 
the  colt  to  Ben  Tindall,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  who 
brought  him  up  and  took  him  to  John  Bosler's  livery 
stable,  northeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Brown  streets. 
The  brickmakers  and  contractors  were  prominent  as 
the  local  horsemen  of  those  days.  They  met  fre- 
quently day  and  evening  at  John  Bosler's  livery 
stable,  among  their  number  being  Ben  Tindall, 
Thomas  H.  Irvin,  Daniel  Jeffreys  and  others.  Tindall 
kept  Dutchman  at  this  stable.  One  afternoon  Ben 
Crossin  and  George  Gorgas  went  out  for  a  ride. 
The  former  was  on  Dutchman  and  the  latter  on  his 
own  mare,  that  was  known  to  be  able  to  beat  three 
minutes.  Sixth  street  was  then  a  grand  driving  road, 
opening  out  for  four  miles  to  Nicetown  Lane,  near  to 
old  Huntington  Park  trotting  course.  Tominey's 
hotel,  where  Black  Douglass  was  kept,  when  in  train- 
ing, was  out  on  this  Sixth  street  country  roadway. 
When  Crossin  and  Gorgas  returned  from  their  ride, 
the  former  assured  everyone  that  he  had  beaten  Gor- 


DUTCHMAN.  127 

gas'  mare  with  Dutchman.  Daniel  Jeffreys  heard  of 
this,  and  after  driving  the  horse  a  few  times,  he  bought 
.him  from  Tindall  for  about  $225. 

"He  had  a  sympathetic  ailment  of  the  eyes,  result- 
ing from  the  dental  period,  just  as  many  another 
young  horse  has  had,  and  Jeffries  turned  him  out  to 
pasture  in  a  lot  he  kept  for  the  purpose,  as  he  was  a 
great  horse  fancier.  Hence  the  brick  cart  and  brick- 
yard story,  all  of  which  originated  in  the  fertile  imagi- 
nation of  the  brain  of  an  old  writer  for  sensational 
purposes.  Neither  Dutchman  nor  the  dam  of  An- 
drew Jackson,  that  had  been  owned  by  Jeffries  eight 
or  ten  years  prior  to  his  owning  Dutchman,  were  ever 
worked  to  a  brick  cart. 

"The  majority  of  these  facts  I  had  from  Thomas 
H.  Irvin,  himself  a  brickmaker,  in  1867-8-9,  while  he 
was  living  in  a  brick  house,  one  of  a  row  built  on  the 
grounds  of  the  old  Haymarket  lot  at  Fifth  and  Green 
streets,  within  a  few  squares  of  where  all  of  these  in- 
teresting circumstances  happened  in  his  younger  days. 
The  pasture  lot  into  which  Dutchman  was  turned  for 
grass  and  liberty  was  the  spot  where  Hiram  Wood- 
ruff first  saw  the  horse." 

This  is  all  that  can  be  learned  of  the  early  history 
of  Dutchman,  the  horse  that  prompted  Alden  Gold- 
smith to  turn  from  agriculture  and  cattle  to  the  trot- 
ter, and  whose  stoutness  caused  him  later  in  life,  when 
master  of  Walnut  Grove  Farm,  to  select  as  the  mem- 
bers of  his  stud,  horses  showing  quality  and  finish,  and 
at  the  same  time  carrying  a  dash  of  thoroughbred 
blood  which  had  shown  a  disposition  to  go  on  a  trot. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  fifties  he  purchased  one  mare 
by  Abdallah,  seven  by  American  Star,  four  by  im- 


128  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

ported  Consternation  and  one  Clay  mare,  while  his 
first  stallion  was  a  son  of  Consternation,  his  dam  being 
by  a  son  or  grandson  of  Messenger.  Of  American  Star. 
Alden  Goldsmith  said : 

"He  was  a,  natural  born  trotter,  and  one  whose  gait 
would  bear  the  most  extreme  forcing,  and  when 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  harnessed  to  a  wagon,  on  the 
fair  grounds  at  Goshen,  he  won  the  annual  trophy 
offered  for  the  best  stallion,  speed  considered,  from 
the  six-year-old  son  of  Hambletonian — Alexander's 
Abdallah — to  sulky  in  a  contest  of  heats.  He  also,  in 
a  long  and  desperate  contest  on  the  same  grounds  van- 
quished Harry  Clay." 

At  Chester,  a  few  miles  away,  Hambletonian's 
star  was  beginning  to  appear  above  the  horizon, 
and  when  Robert  Fillingham,  subsequently  known 
as  George  Wilkes,  and  the  "Alley  colt,"  named 
Dexter,  when  started  showed  that  Rysdyk's  horse 
was  going  to  sire  speed,  Alden  Goldsmith  made 
an  effort  to  find  a  son  of  Hambletonian  that  filled  his 
eye  as  an  individual  and  a  trotter.  He  finally  selected 
an  eight-year-old  bay  horse  owned  by  Richard 
Underbill,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  then  known  as 
Hambletonian,  Jr.  Edwin  Thorne  joined  with  him 
in  the  purchase,  and  when  William  M.  Rysdyk,  the 
owner  of  Hambletonian,  objected  to  the  name,  hinting 
at  the  time  that  by  retaining  it  they  showed  a  dispo- 
sition to  borrow  some  of  the  thunder  of  the  'Hero  of 
Chester/  prompted  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  it  being 
on  the  eve  of  the  Civil  War,  they  changed  it  to  Volun- 
teer. Reserve  and  Woburn,  both  sons  of  Hamble- 
tonian, were  also  added  to  his  stud. 


VOLUNTEER.  129 

VOLUNTEER. 


Clang,  clang,  went  the  bell  for  the  race 
A  Goldsmith  answered  "Here!" 
Made  weight  and  scored  down  in  his  place, 
And  won  with  a  Volunteer. 

Volunteer  was  bred  by  Joseph  Hetzel,  of  Florida, 
N.  Y.  He  was  foaled  May  I,  1854,  the  day  his  dam, 
Lady  Patriot  was  four  years  old,  his  sire  being  four 
and  his  dam  three  when  they  were  mated.  Richard 
Underbill  purchased  the  colt  in  the  fall  of  1858.  He 
took  him  to  Long  Island,  and  subsequently  placed 
him  in  William  Wheelan's  stable  for  training. 
Wheelan  found  that  he  was  a  fast  horse,  but  the  severe 
preparation  of  that  period  soon  put  him  on  the  com- 
plaining list  and  he  was  sent  home.  For  the  next  two 
years  he  was  driven  on  the  road  by  his  owner's 
brother  and  finally,  in  the  spring  of  1861,  he  sent  Lady 
Patriot's  colt  to  Timothy  T.  Jackson,  with  orders  to 
keep  him  in  good  road  condition  and  sell  him  if  pos- 
sible. Jackson  gave  him  very  little  fast  work,  as  he 
showed  stiff  in  the  shoulders ;  but  with  what  he  did 
get,  Volunteer  pulled  a  heavy  single-seated  wagon  a 
mile  and  repeat  over  the  Union  Course  in  2:33,  2:31*4- 
Alden  Goldsmith  heard  of  the  horse  and  bought  him 
on  June  26,  1862.  While  in  the  possession  of  Joseph 
Hetzel,  Volunteer  was  bred  to  a  few  mares,  and  from 
their  foals  Alden  Goldsmith  purchased  the  colt  Idler, 
who  showed  fast,  but  met  with  an  accident  that  caused 
his  death,  Hamlet  and  Matchless,  both  of  whom 
trotted  in  2:30  in  public  and  proved  noted  prize 
winners. 


130  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

As  a  four-year-old,  while  in  the  hands  of  his 
breeder,  Volunteer  won  first  premium  for  stallions  in 
Orange  County.  His  next  appearance,  at  Goshen, 
was  on  August  21,  1862,  when  Alden  Goldsmith  started 
him  against  ^Vinfield,  Grey  Confidence,  and  several 
others,  in  what  would  now  be  termed  trials  of  speed. 
The  track  at  Goshen  was  that  season  changed  from  a 
third  to  a  half-mile,  and  was  little  better  than  a 
country  road.  Under  the  conditions  of  the  event, 
each  horse  was  timed  separately,  Volunteer  driven  by 
his  owner,  to  wagon,  winning  in  2:39,  beat- 
ing his  fastest  competitor  nine  seconds.  This  show- 
ing, together  with  the  promise  of  the  colts  purchased 
by  Goldsmith,  roused  the  resentment  of  Hamble- 
tonian's  admirers  to  such  a  pitch  that  for  the  next  ten 
years  Volunteer  was  almost  excluded  from  public 
service.  As  Hambletonian  was  becoming  famous  as 
a  sire,  Volunteer  could  not  be  assailed  on  that  side  of 
his  pedigree,  the  attack  being  made  on  his  dam,  Lady 
Patriot.  She  was  bred  by  John  Cape,  of  Orange 
County,  and  before  reaching  Thorndale  Farm,  where 
she  spent  her  last  days,  passed  through  the  hands  of 
John  Hetzel,  David  Seely,  Strong  Y.  Satterlee  and 
William  M.  Rysdyk.  Satterlee  gave  $125  for  her  and 
sold  her  for  $200  to  Rysdyk  for  a  brood  mare,  after 
one  of  her  shoulders  had  been  injured,  and  Edwin 
Thorne  had  a  friend  purchase  her  for  him  from 
Rysdyk,  when  she  was  carrying  the  colt  afterwards 
known  as  Sentinel.  When  her  three  sons,  Volunteer, 
Hetzel's  Hambletonian  and  Green's  Hambletonian, 
were  attracting  notice,  W.  M.  Rysdyk  made  the  fol- 
lowing contribution  to  the  war  upon  Volunteer,  by 


VOLUNTEER.  131 

way  of  note,  to  the  gentleman  who  bought  her  for  Mr. 
Thorne : 

"You  are  surprised  to  hear  me  pronounce  the  dam 
of  Volunteer  a  dunghill.  I  bought  her  for  a  dunghill, 
and  I  know  she  is  a  dunghill ;  and  that  is  not  all — she 
is  the  most  worthless  piece  of  horseflesh  that  I  ever 
owned." 

This  was  not  much  of  a  recommendation  for  Vol- 
unteer, as  a  competitor  of  the  greatest  trotting  stallion 
in  the  country. 

Nothing  was  ever  known  of  the  breeding  of  the 
dam  of  Lady  Patriot.  She  was  a  bay  mare,  brought  by 
Lewis  Hulse  from  Rockland  County,  adjoining  Or- 
ange, was  both  a  running  and  trotting  mare,  and  as 
such  was  held  out  under  a  challenge  to  run  or  trot 
against  anything  that  could  be  led  into  the  county. 
"I  have  seen  the  statement,"  wrote  H.  T.  Helm  in  1876, 
"that  she  was  held  as  a  standing  challenge  to  run 
against  any  horse,  and  then  to  trot  against  the 
same  one."  This  scrap  of  history,  though  brief, 
casts  much  light  on  the  character  and  qualities 
of  the  Lewis  Hulse  mare,  and  from  this  and  the  local- 
ity whence  she  came  some  inference  may  be  drawn 
concerning  her  probable  blood.  It  was  the  region 
where  the  blood  of  the  two  families  of  Messenger  and 
Diomed,  through  Duroc,  Henry,  and  Eclipse,  was  the 
chief  element  in  running  and  trotting  circles.  This 
mare  was  bred  by  John  Cape  to  a  horse  called  Young 
Patriot,  which  was  brought  into  Orange  County  by 
parties  who  stated  that  he  came  from  Oneida  County, 
and  that  he  was  by  Patriot,  he  by  Blucher  from  a  mare 
by  Messenger  Duroc,  son  of  old  Eclipse. 


132  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

From  1862  to  1871  Volunteer  was  ignored  by  the 
public.  He  was  overshadowed  by  Hambletpnian, 
while  as  the  few  colts  that  he  did  sire  did  not  come  to 
their  speed  early,  no  one  could  point  to  a  trotter  by 
Volunteer  after  Hamlet  was  retired.  In  addition  to 
this  the  majority  of  his  get  were  spoiled  in  breaking, 
the  trainers  of  that  period  not  understanding  their 
dispositions  and  it  was  not  until  his  owner,  encouraged 
oy  his  success  with  Goldsmith  Maid,  one  of  the  wildest 
hawks  ever  put  in  harness,  decided  to  develop  his  own 
stock,  that  the  smiles  of  fortune  turned  towards  the 
premier  of  Walnut  Grove  Farm. 


GOLDSMITH  MAID. 


It's  admitted  that  Lou  Dillon, 

Alix,  Maud  S.,  and  Nancy  Hanks, 

With  Goldsmith  Maid's  two  fourteen 

Played  many  kinds  of  pranks. 

Stmol  and  scores  of  others, 

Make  you  think  her  star  will  fade, 

But  for  all  their  speed  they  missed  the  fame, 

That  came  to  Goldsmith  Maid; 

As  turf  lovers  all  remember 

That  from  January  to  December 

The  mare  that  won  the  money  was  the  Maid. 

Goldsmith  Maid  was  the  foundation  of  Alden 
Goldsmith's  reputation  as  a  practical  turfman.  She 
was  foaled  on  the  farm  of  John  B.  Decker,  of  Wantage 
Township,  Sussex  County,  New  Jersey,  in  the  spring 
of  1857.  Her  sire  was  Edsall's  Hambletonian,  after- 


GOLDSMITH    MAID.  135 

wards  known  as  Alexander's  Abdallah,  and  her  dam 
what  was  called  an  Abdallah  mare.  She  was  in  her 
day  a  fine  animal  and,  according  to  a  correspondent  of 
the  "Spirit  of  the  Times,"  writing  from  Deckertown,N. 
J.,  in  1871,  could  trot  in  about  2:40,  and  proved  to  be  a 
fine  brood  mare.  She  had  six  foals,  all  of  which  gave 
greater  promise  when  colts  than  Goldsmith  Maid. 
One  of  them,  when  coming  four  years  old,  repeatedly 
trotted  on  a  country  road,  a  full  mile,  barefooted, 
without  a  skip  or  break.  They  were  all  high-spirited 
animals,  and  no  fence  was  capable  of  confining  them 
to  a  certain  field.  If  the  spirit  moved  them,  they 
would  spring  over  the  stone  walls  like  a  deer,  skim 
along  the  neighboring  fields,  trampling  down  wheat 
and  corn,  much  to  the  consternation  and  despair  of  the 
farmers,  who,  in  turn,  revenged,  as  well  as  amused 
themselves,  by  setting  their  dogs  on  them  and  chas- 
ing them  like  foxes  all  over  the  county.  When  they 
got  tired,  they  would  return  to  their  home  very  much 
in  the  manner  they  had  left  it.  This  colt,  referred  to 
above,  in  one  of  these  almost  daily  tramps,  ran  against 
a  scythe  suspended  from  an  apple-tree,  and  cut  its 
head  almost  off.  Another,  equally  as  promising,  was 
kicked  in  the  knee"  joint,  and  died  from  its  effects;  a 
third  was  gored  by  a  bull,  and  a  fourth  met  some 
equally  tragic  fate,  that  disposed  of  it  in  as  summary 
a  manner.  A  fifth  was  taken  by  General  Kilpatrick 
to  Chili,  and  there  sold  to  a  gentleman  for  four  thou- 
sand in  gold.  This  mare  could  dust  anything  in  Sus- 
sex County. 

Goldsmith  Maid  was  the  smallest  of  old  Ab's  foals. 
What  she  lost  in  size,  however,  she  made  up  in  vicious- 
ness.  She  wouldn't  go  in  a  plow  or  harrow,  nor  stay 


136  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

in  any  field  in  which  she  was  placed.  The  only  thing 
she  seemed  to  be  cut  out  for  was  to  run  races  at  night, 
which  she  was  indulged  in  for  years,  much  to  the 
pecuniary  discomfiture  of  the  hapless  youth  who  was 
indiscreet  enough  to  bet  against  her.  The  manner  of 
arranging  for  the  nightly  races  certainly  didn't  come 
within  the  rules  since  adopted  by  the  Turf  Association, 
but  was  equally  as  effective.  There  was  no  pool-sell- 
ing in  those  days.  The  "lookers-on  in  Venice"  were 
interested  owners,  generally,  of  the  competing  horses. 
The  purse,  or  rather  the  arrangement,  was  made  in  a 
grocery  store  on  Mr.  Decker's  farm,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  evening,  and  the  race  to  come  off  after  Mr. 
Decker  had  gone  to  bed.  Then  the  mare  would  be 
quietly  slipped  out  of  her  stable,  or  spirited  out  of  the 
field  and  taken  down  on  the  flat  and  duly  entered. 
The  knowing  ones  knew  on  which  horse  to  bet  their 
extra  cash,  for  there  was  no  hippodroming  then,  and 
it  was  only  when  a  green  outsider  was  roped  in  that 
the  local  pocketbooks  assumed  phlethoric  proportions. 

She  had  a  strange  freak  that  she  indulged  herself 
in  about  once  a  month.  It  consisted  in  her  making  a 
circuit  of  the  neighboring  country,  jumping  over 
fences,  running  through  fields,  regardless  of  what 
they  contained,  up  and  down  hills,  across  dale  and 
streams,  and  finally  winding  up  in  the  field  from  which 
she  started.  This  circuit  was  about  six  miles  in  extent 
and  occupied  about  forty  minutes. 

John  B.  Decker  sold  the  Maid  to  his  nephew,  John 
H.  Decker,  for  $350.  He  in  turn  sold  her  to  William 
Tompkins,  known  as  "Jersey  Bill,"  for  $650.  The 
next  day  he  sold  her  to  Alden  Goldsmith  for  $1,000  and 
an  old  buggy,  worth  about  $60.-  He  placed  her  in  the 


GOLDSMITH   MAID  137 

hands  of  William  Bodine,  who  was  then  considered 
the  best  horseman  in  Orange  County.  It  took  four 
men  to  harness  her,  and  she* came  near  killing  Bodine 
several  times  before  she  was  fairly  broken,  during 
which  time  Goldsmith  was  more  than  once  very  sick 
of  his  bargain. 

After  such  an  amount  of  patience  and  skill  as  has 
rarely  been  lavished  on  any  trotter,  she  became  suf- 
ficiently steady  so  that  she  could  be  driven  in  races. 
She  made  her  first  start  as  the  Goldsmith  Mare  in  a 
race  for  $100  against  Uncle  Sam  and  Mountain  Boy  at 
Goshen,  N.  Y.,  September  7,  1865,  and  won  in  2:36, 
2:37.  In  1866  she  won  her  engagements  at  Middle- 
town  and  Poughkeepsie,  cutting  her  record  to  2:30  in 
the  deciding  heat  of  her  second  race,  and  was  second 
to  General  Butler  in  2:23^4,  2:25^,  2:27  at  Copake, 
N.  Y.,  November  2.  The  time  made  in  this  race 
attracted  considerable  attention  and  in  1867,  when  her 
name  was  changed  to  Goldsmith  Maid.  Alden 
Goldsmith,  after  winning  three  races  with  her  and 
reducing  her  record  to  2:24^4,  placed  her  in  Budd 
Doble's  hands.  He  made  his  first  start  with  Gold- 
smith Maid  at  Narragansett  Park,  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  afterwards  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Jackman,  pur- 
chased her  for  $15,000.  They  raced  her  successfully 
and  later  on  sold  her  for  $32,000  to  H.  N.  Smith.  She 
died  his  property  at  Fashion  Farm,  Trenton,  N.  J., 
September  13,  1885. 

While  being  conditioned  in  1866  and  1867,  Gold- 
smith Maid  and  Volunteer  were  frequently  brushed 
together  on  the  road,  and  W.  W.  Shuit  told  me  that 
the  stallion  could  invariably  step  away  from  the  future 
queen  of  the  turf.  ^The  year  Alden  Goldsmith  sold 


138  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

the  Maid  he  also  appeared  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  with 
Volunteer  and  started  him  for  a  premium  at  the 
Seventh  ^exhibition  of  the  Hartford  Horse  Association, 
which  was  held  on  the  old  half-mile  track,  on  Albany 
Avenue.  He  was  entered  in  Class  No.  6 :  Stallions  for 
general  use  six  years  old  and  over.  The  other  entries 
were  William  B.  Smith's  Mambrino  Patchen  and  F.W. 
Russell's  Clarion.  A  single  mile  was  trotted  to  show 
speed,  which  was  considered  in  making  the  award. 
The  heat  was  closely  contested  by  Volunteer  and 
Mambrino  Patchen,  the  former  being  hitched  to  a 
wagon  and  winning  in  2 137.  This  was  the  record 
with  which  Volunteer  was  retired  to  the  stud. 


DEVELOPING  THE  VOLUNTEERS. 


He  saith  among  the  trumpets,  ha!  ha!  and  he  smelleth  the 
battle  afar  oft.— Job. 

Encouraged  by  his  success  with  Goldsmith  Maid, 
and  spurred  on  by  the  reproaches  cast  upon  the  horses 
bred  at  Walnut  Grove  Farm,  Alden  Goldsmith  began 
to  develop  the  get  of  Volunteer.  It  was  up  hill  work 
from  the  start,  as  he  had  only  a  few  to  work  on  and 
the  trotting  step  had  to  be  drilled  into  them  after  they 
were  broken,  which  was,  in  itself,  a  very  difficult  task. 
In  addition  to  the  Volunteer  colts,  he  had  a  few  by 
other  sires,  and  raced  them  when  they  were  good 
enough.  The  records  show  that  in  addition  to  Gold- 
smith Maid  he  started  the  bay  mare  Lady  Tompkins, 
by  Alexander's  Abdallah,  at  Goshen  and  Newburg  in 


DEVELOPING   THE   VOLUNTEERS.  139 

1866,  giving  her  a  record  of  2:31,  while  he  also  won  at 
Newburg  and  Middletown  with  the  Magnolia  gelding, 
Hunter,  and  placed  another  first  to  his  credit  at  Gosh- 
en  the  following  year  before  he  turned  him  over  to 
William  Bodine,  who  gave  him  a  mark  of  2 137  at 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  defeated  Major  Edsall  and 
Honesty.  In  1868  the  American  Star  mare,  Lady 
Whitman,  won  three  races  for  Alden  Goldsmith  at 
Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  and  trotted  fourth  to  Myron  Perry 
at  Catskill. 

The  Volunteer  trotters  were  introduced  to  the 
public  in  1869,  when  Ristori  won  a  race  at  Goshen, 
after  which  she  was  placed  on  the  retired  list  until 
1874,  and  Matchless,  one  of  the  oldest  of  his  get,  won 
at  Newburg,  after  which  he  was  sold  to  H.  C.  Good- 
rich, of  Chicago.  He  drove  him  to  a  record  of  2:35^4. 
Ristori  and  Matchless  were  not,  however,  the  first  of 
Volunteer's  get  to  take  the  word  in  public,  as  in  1866 
Edwin  Thorne  started  Hamlet  in  five  races  and  gave 
him  a  record  of  2 137  at  Newburg.  In  1870  Volunteer 
was  represented  at  the  Goshen  Fair  by  Bodine  and 
Huntress,  the  former  winning  a  five-year-old  race  in 
2:451/2,  while  Huntress  trotted  second  in  two  races  to 
Lady  Whitman,  the  fastest  heat  in  either  event  being 
finished  in  2:39^.  Alden  Goldsmith  also  won  a  first 
and  a  second  at  this  meeting  with  the  Hambletonian 
gelding  Norwood,  which  Dan  Mace  had  raced  under 
the  name  of  Drift  on  the  New  England  tracks  in  1869. 
Norwood  was  also  started  at  Middletown,  where  he 
finished  fourth  to  Lady  Salspaugh. 


140  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

HUNTRESS  AND  BODINE. 


He  has  half  the  deed  done,  who  has  made  a  beginning. 

— Horace. 

In  1871  Huntress  made  her  first  start  in  the  three- 
minute  class  at  Buffalo,  where  she  saved  her  entrance 
in  a  race  won  by  Joseph  Cairn  Simpson  with  Clara  G. ; 
Barney  and  Young  Thorne  being  between  her  and  the 
winner.  Her  next  appearance  was  at  Hampden  Park, 
Springfield,  Mass.,  where  on  August  22,  she  trotted 
third  to  Lady  Ross  in  a  five-heat  race,  and  on  the 
following  day  finished  second  to  the  same  mare  in 
another  event,  winning  a  heat  in  2  129^,  which  was  the 
first  mile  below  what  was  in  1876  fixed  as  the  standard 
limit  credited  to  one  of  Volunteer's  get.  Later  in  the 
season  Huntress  trotted  second  to  Mary  at  Doyles- 
town,  ^a.,  second  to  Dot  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  and 
won  her  engagements  at  Pittsburg  and  Holly  Springs, 
Va.,  her  record  being  reduced  to  2  \26l/2  in  her  last  race 
that  year. 

Bodine  made  his  first  start  in  1871  at  Fleetwood 
Park,  New  York,  where  he  won,  cutting  his  record  to 
2:3°/4-  He  also  won  at  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  trotted 
second  to  Dot  at  Doylestown,  was  second  to  Sorrel 
Dan  at  Pittsburg  on  October  26,  and  on  the  following 
day  defeated  that  gelding  and  five  others  in  a  six-heat 
contest.  His  last  appearance  that  year  was  at  Holly 
Springs,  Va.,  where  he  won  a  four-heat  race  in  slow 
time.  From  the  beginning  of  his  career  Bodine  was 
looked  upon  with  suspicion  on  account  of  his  dam  be- 
ing by  Harry  Clay.  It  was  at  the  time  considered  a  soft 
cross,  one  authority  going  so  far  as  to  state  that  he 
would  as  soon  have  a  streak  of  sawdust  in  a  pedigree 


HUNTRESS   AND    BODINE.  141 

as  a  strain  of  Clay  blood.  In  time  this  idea,  like  many 
another  founded  on  prejudice,  melted  into  thin  air. 
As  for  Bodine,  he  was  sold  to  H.  C.  Goodrich,  of 
Chicago,  early  in  1872,  was  raced  successfully  until 
1877  and  made  a  record  of  2:1954  at  Saginaw  in  1875 
in  the  first  heat  of  a  $2,000  purse  race,  in  which  he  de- 
feated Judge  Fullerton,  American  Girl  and  Bella. 
The  same  year  St.  Julien,  a  gelding  bred  in 
the  same  line  as  Bodine,  appeared  on  the  turf,  won 
six  races  in  three  weeks  and  trotted  to  a  record  of 
2:22.  In  1880  he  placed  the  world's  record  at  2:1134* 
He  was  the  last  of  the  Orange  County  champions,  but 
not  the  last  of  its  products  to  prove  the  value  of  the 
Clay  cross,  as  Electioneer,  by  Hambletonian,  out  of 
a  mare  by  Harry  Clay,  founded  a  family  of  trotters 
that  changed  all  of  the  world's  records  at  a  mile. 

While  Bodine  and  Huntress  were  racing  in  1871 
William  H.  Allen,  another  Volunteer  in  the  hands  of 
Peter  Manee,  was  making  a  very  favorable  impres- 
sion, but  the  tide  of  popular  favor  did  not  begin  to 
flow  towards  their  sire  until  the  following  season, 
when  John  Trout  began  to  move  up  in  front  on  the 
mile  tracks  with  Huntress,  Abdallah,  and  the  big  geld- 
ing, Whirlwind,  whose  name  was  changed  to  Gloster 
before  he  took  the  word  at  Buffalo. 


142  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

THREE  MILE  RECORD. 


Who  trained  the  flighty  Huntress 
To  go  the  three-mile  route? 
One  of  the  old  guard,  I'll  warrant; 
Yes,  ^'Happy  Johnny"  Trout. 

The  Walnut  Grove  Farm  stable  made  its  first  start 
in  1872,  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New  York,  the  third  week 
in  May.  Abdallah  won  two  races  during  the  meeting 
and  Huntress  trotted  third  to  Judge  Fullerton,  second 
money  going  to  William  H.  Allen.  At  Prospect  Park, 
Brooklyn,  the  following  week,  Abdallah  was  behind 
the  money  and  Huntress  again  third,  first  money  on 
this  occasion  going  to  William  H.  Allen  after  a  seven- 
heat  struggle,  in  which  Huntress  trotted  a  dead  heat 
in  2 125  with  the  winner  and  came  back  again  in 
2:26^4.  The  next  starts  were  made  at  Boston,  at  the 
Mystic  and  Beacon  Park  meetings,  where  Abdallah 
was  second  in  three  races  won  by  Czar,  a  brown  geld- 
ing driven  by  Dan  Mace,  and  was  unplaced  in  one 
event  to  Mary  A.  Whitney,  a  sister  to  William  H. 
Allen,  who,  after  being  retired  to  the  brood  mare 
ranks,  produced  Brava,  2:14^2;  Nomad,  2:19;  First 
Love,  2:22^,  a  Clay  stake  winner;  Blue  Blood,  2:22^, 
and  Bon  Mot,  2:25^4.  One  first  and  three  seconds 
'was  Huntress'  score  at  Boston,  and  after  winning  a 
special  from  William  H.  Allen  at  Saratoga,  she  swung 
into  line  at  Buffalo,  where  she  was  awarded  third 
money  in  the  race  in  which  Jay  Gould  made  his  record 
of  2:21^/2.  As  has  been  stated,  Gloster  started  at  this 
meeting,  the  summaries  showing  that  he  was  fourth  in 
the  race  won  by  Sensation.  At  Utica  the  following 
week  he  was  unplaced  to  Camors.  After  a  lay-up  of 


THREE   MILE   RECORD.  143 

a  month  Gloster  and  Huntress  were  started  at  Pros- 
pect Park,  Brooklyn,  where  the  former  won  the  2:50 
and  2 138  classes  and  made  a  record  of  2 130,  while 
Huntress  set  all  the  tongues  of  the  turf  world  wag- 
ging by  clipping  eleven  and  a  quarter  seconds  off 
Dutchman's  three-mile  record,  which  had  stood  at  the 
top  of  the  column  for  thirty-three  years.  The  event 
in  which  she  started  was  a  $1,250  purse  for  a  dash  of 
three  miles,  with  $1,000  added  if  Dutchman's  time  was 
beaten.  Six  entries  were  received,  and  of  that  num- 
ber Fanny  Fern,  Huntress,  Wallace  and  Constitution 
started,  the  absentees  being  H.  B.  and  George  Gillett. 
Huntress  drew  the  pole  and  made  a  runaway  race  of 
the  event  from  the  word.  She  trotted  the  first  mile  in 
2:28^,  the  second  with  two  breaks  in  it  in  2:26,  the 
middle  half  being  made  in  i  ioo,^,  and  the  third,  after 
a  mistake  near  the  half,  in  2:26^4,  winning  by  over 
two  hundred  yards,  there  being  two  lengths  between 
Wallace  and  Constitution  as  they  passed  the  stand. 
Fanny  Fern  was  pulled  up  in  the  first  quarter  of  the 
third  mile.  The  7:21^  made  by  Huntress  in  1872  re- 
mained unbeaten  until  1893,  when  Bishop's  Hero  won 
a  race  at  three  miles  in  7:19^4.  while  Hamlin's  Night- 
ingale the  same  season  trotted  the  distance  against 
time  in  6:553/2.  After  the  Brooklyn  meeting  Gloster 
won  a  first  and  second  at  Fleetwood  in  October,  and 
a  first  at  Kingston,  where  he  defeated  St.  James,  Joker 
and  Fred. 


144  THK   GOLDSMITHS. 

JAMES  GOLDSMITH'S  FIRST  RACE. 


Ah  me!    I  doubt  if  one  of  you 
Has  ever  heard  the  name  "Old  Blue," 
Whose  fame  through  all  this  region  rung 
In  those  old  days  when  I  was  young. — Holmes. 

From  an  early  age  James  H.,  the  older  son  of  Alden 
Goldsmith,  took  an  active  interest  in  the  horses  which 
were  being  developed  at  W*alnut  Grove  Farm,  and  he 
also  had  ample  opportunity  to  study  the  peculiarities 
and  gaits  of  the  family  that  was  destined  to  make 
him  one  of  the  leading  reinsmen  of  his  day.  All  of 
his  driving,  however,  was  done  on  the  road  or  the  farm 
track  until  nine  days  after  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  made  his  first  start  at  Montgomery,  N. 
Y.,  in  a  race  for  Orange  County  horses,  and  won.  The 
following  is  a  summary  of  the  race : 

Montgomery,  N.  Y.,  June  24,  1870.  Premium  $35,  for 
horses  owned  in  Orange  County.  Owners  to  drive;  mile 
heats,  three  in  five. 

J.  H.  Goldsmith's  b.  m.  Fanny 31311 

J.  L.  Eager's  ch.  m.  Cochecton  Maid...     13222 

J.  H.   Bertholf's  gr.  g.   Delmonico 22133 

Time— 3:00,  3:00,  3:01^,  3:04,  3:01,  2:59. 

His  next  appearance  as  a  driver  was  in  1873, 
when,  during  his  father's  absence  with  Gloster, 
Huntress  and  the  other  horses  which  he  was 
racing  on  the  mile  tracks,  he  started  the  grey 
gelding,  Rescue,  by  Volunteer,  in  two  races  at 
a  meeting  held  Fourth  of  July  at  Warwick,  N.  Y., 
being  unplaced  to  Fleetwood  on  his  first  appearance 
and  second  to  William  Bodine's  mare,  Lady  Snyder, 


GLOSTER.  145 

the  following  day.  James  H.  Goldsmith  also  drove 
Rescue  in  a  race  at  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  August  20,  1873, 
where  he  finished  second  to  Harry  Bassett.  I  am 
also  of  the  impression  that  he  had  the  mounts  behind 
Goshen  Maid,  Lady  Morrison,  Reserve,  and  Henry  in 
their  races  later  in  the  season. 


GLOSTER. 


Gazelle  and  Camors  were  distanced, 
Sensation  and  Red  Cloud  tried, 
But  they  both  went  down  with  St.  James 
When  Gloster  struck  his  stride. 

While  the  minor  ev,ents  referred  to  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  were  being  prepared  for,  Trout 
shipped  Gloster,  Huntress,  Abdallah  and  Volun- 
teer Belle  to  Albany  to  condition  them  for  a  trip  down 
the  line.  While  there  he  opened  the  campaign  of  1873 
by  winning  a  match  for  a  bottle  of  wine  with  Volunteer 
Belle,  and  it  was  the  only  win  this  mare  ever  made  for 
the  Goldsmith  family,  a  second  to  Fanny  Raymond, 
and  a  third  to  Lida  Picton  at  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.,  and  a 
third  to  Gold  Leaf,  at  Amenia,  being  the  only  times 
she  was  in  the  money  that  year.  Abdallah  also  proved 
a  disappointment.  He  made  but  four  starts,  his  first 
trip  being  at  Albany,  May  28,  where  he  was  third  to 
James  Dougrey's  Lida  Picton.  At  Prospect  Park, 
Brooklyn,  the  following  week  he  was  fourth  to  Jack 
Draper  in  the  2  134  class,  and  on  June  25  he  again  met 


146  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

Lida  Picton,  this  time  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New  York. 
Abdallah  made  his  record  of  2:30  in  the  first  heat  of 
this  race,  but  was  second  to  Lida  Picton  when  the  pre- 
miums were  awarded.  After  trotting  unplaced  to 
Prince  Allen  ,at  Amenia,  July  4,  Goldsmith's  Abdallah 
disappeared  from  the  turf.  He  was  subsequently 
shipped  to  Kentucky  and  killed  at  Paris  in  1875. 

Huntress  and  Gloster  trotted  their  first  races  in 
1873  over  Washington  Park,  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.,  the 
mare  defeating  Nonesuch  and  William  H.  Allen  in 
the  2:21  class,  and  Gloster  disposing  of  Joker,  Hall 
Terrill  and  St.  Elmo  in  the  2  127  class.  Nonesuch  de- 
feated Gloster  in  the  2:21  class  at  Albany  the  fol- 
lowing week,  after  which  the  big  gelding  was  given  a 
let  up  until  the  meeting  at  Amenia  the  first  week  in 
July.  In  the  interval  Huntress  was  distanced  by  John 
W.  Conley  at  the  May  meeting  at  Fleetwood  Park, 
New  York,  won  the  2:21  class  at  Prospect  Park  over 
William  H.  Allen,  and  John  W.  Conley,  and  trotted 
third  to  Judge  Fullerton  at  Fleetwood  on  June  26. 

For  its  summer  meeting  in  1873  the  Eastern 
Duchess  Association  of  Amenia,  N.  Y.,  selected  July 
3,  4  and  5,  and  presented  a  programme  showing  six 
races,  with  purses  amounting  to  $8,000.  Alden  Gold- 
smith made  four  entries  and  started  all  of  them,  Hunt- 
ress winning  the  free-for-all  from  Ed  White  and  Wil- 
liam B.  Whiteman ;  Gloster  the  2  126  class,  in  which  J. 
H.  Phillips  again  finished  second  with  Ed  White ;  Vol- 
unteer Belle  third  premium  in  the  three-minute  class; 
while  Abdallah  was  drawn  after  trotting  three  heats 
in  the  2 132  class.  The  gross  winnings  for  the  week 
amounted  to  $2,500.  Gloster's  next  start  was  in  a 
$2,000  purse  for  the  2:27  class  at  Catskill,  July  23. 


GLOSTKR.  147 

He  won  it  in  straight  heats,  and  was  then  shipped  to 
Buffalo,  where,  on  August  6,  after  saving  his  entrance 
in  the  $20,000  purse  won  by  Sensation,  he  was  started 
two  days  later  in  a  $10,000  purse  for  the  2 124  class,  and 
won  in  2:24^,  2:23^,  2:2414,  after  losing  a  heat  to 
Susie.  This  Success  was  followed  by  two  straight 
heat  victories  at  Utica  in  $5,000  purses  the  next  week, 
the  fastest  of  the  six  heats  being  finished  in  2:23^4. 

Gloster's  next  appearance  was  at  Point  Breeze,  Phil- 
adelphia, where  he  trotted  second  to  Goldsmith  Maid 
in  2:22,  2:25^,  2:24,  Sensation  and  Camors  finishing 
behind  him.  During  October  he  was  also  second  to 
Goldsmith  Maid  in  two  races  at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago, 
in  one  of  which  she  trotted  a  heat  in  2 118  and  in  one  at 
Pittsburg.  As  soon  as  Gloster  was  on  easy  street, 
Huntress  was  taken  up  again  and  started  in  two  races 
at  Plainville,  Conn.,  where  she  defeated  St.  James  and 
Longfellow  in  a  class  race,  and  two  days  later  trotted 
second  to  Judge  Fullerton  in  the  free-for-all.  Her 
returns  for  the  balance  of  the  season  show  a  third  to 
Camors  at  Prospect  Park,  a  second  to  Judge  Fullerton 
in  the  free-for-all  at  Sandy  Hill,  a  first  at  Norwich, 
Conn.,  where  she  defeated  Susie,  and  a  first  at  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  where,  on  October  31,  she  won  over  Go- 
shen  Maid  in  2  130,  2  125,  2  133. 

In  1874,  Gloster  was  a  member  of  Budd  Doble's 
stables  and  made  his  first  start  at  Chicago,  on  July  25, 
in  the  2  :2O  class,  trotting  second  to  Red  Cloud.  At 
Cleveland,  the  following  week,  Gloster  and  Red  Cloud 
went  at  each  other  hammer  and  tongs,  while  Nettie 
jogged  along  leisurely  in  the  rear.  When  the  two 
geldings  were  deader  than  proverbial  smelts,  Turner 
made  his  move  and  won,  Gloster  being  awarded  second 


148  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

money  and  Red  Cloud  third.  The  next  start  was  at 
Buffalo,  where  Camors,  who  was  distanced  in  the  first 
heat  of  the  race  at  Cleveland,  stepped  out  in  front  for 
two  heats,  the  first  one  being  won  by  a  neck  from 
Red  Cloud  ki  2:20^,  while  heads  only  separated  him 
from  Gloster  and  Nettie  in  the  second  in  2:19%,  his 
record.  Prior  to  the  third  heat  the  Judges  requested 
John  Wade  to  turn  Red  Cloud  over  to  Charles  Green. 
This  smashed  the  slate,  which,  according  to  Dan  Mace, 
was  made  for  Gloster  to  win,  and,  as  a  dying  chance, 
Hickok  tried  to  pull  the  race  off  with  Camors.  He 
carried  Red  Cloud  to  the  half  in  1 107^,  but  the  Indi- 
ana gelding  had  speed  to  spare,  as  he  marched  on  to 
the  three-quarters  in  1:42^  and  won  in  2:18,  the 
record  with  which  he  retired  from  the  turf.  In  the 
next  two  heats  Gloster  tried  to  reach  him,  but  as  he 
was  unsteady,  Red  Cloud  won  in  2:185/2,  2:21.  This 
race  created  a  great  deal  of  excitement,  which  was 
materially  increased  when  Goldsmith  Maid  closed  the 
meeting  by  reducing  the  world's  record  for  trotters 
from  2:16  to  2:151/2. 

Gloster  made  his  record  of  2:17  and  also  trotted 
the  best  race  of  his  life  at  the  inaugural  meeting  of  the 
Rochester  Driving  Park  the  following  week.  He  took 
the  word  with  St.  James,  Sensation,  Camors,  Red 
Cloud  and  Gazelle.  Red  Cloud  was  the  favorite,  'Glos- 
ter, on  account  of  his  behavior  at  Buffalo,  being  third 
choice.  At  the  finish  of  the  first  heat  the  judges  were 
unable  to  separate  this  pair  at  the  wire  and  announced 
it  a  dead  heat  in  2  :i8.  As  it  was  supposed  the  Volun- 
teer gelding  could  not  come  back  in  any  such  time, 
Red  Cloud  brought  two  to  one  over  the  field  before  the 
word  was  given  for  the  second  mile.  In  this  heat  Doble 


GLOSTER.  149 

took  Gloster  out  in  front  and  won  by  two  lengths  in 
2:17^4.  On  the  next  trip  he  stepped  the  mile  in  2:17, 
each  half  being  timed  in  i  :oSy2,  and  won  by  three 
lengths.  W.  McLaughlin  was  driving  Red  Cloud,  and 
in  the  hope  of  saving  the  day,  Hickok,  who  had  been 
distanced  in  the  first  heat  with  Camors,  was  asked  to 
take  the  mount.  The  change  did  not  improve  matters, 
as  Gloster  won  as  he  pleased  in  2:19.  This  success 
was  followed  by  victories  in  the  2 120  class  at  Hampden 
Park,  Springfield,  at  Charter  Oak  Park,  Hartford 
during  the  inaugural  meeting  of  the  Connecticut  Stock 
Breeders'  Association,  and  at  Mystic  Park,  Boston, 
and  a  defeat  at  Beacon  Park,  where  he  trotted  second 
to  Nettie,  who  made  her  record  of  2:18  in  this  race, 
while  Gloster  won  a  heat  in  2  :i9^4- 

The  last  race  won  by  Gloster  was  trotted  over 
Fleetwood  Park,  New  York,  September  21,  1874.  It 
was  a  free-for-all.  Goldsmith  Maid  barred,  for  $10,000, 
the  other  starters  being  American  Girl,  driven  by 
Dougrey;  Camors,  with  Trout  up,  and  Judge  Fuller- 
ton,  with  Hickok  behind  him.  American  Girl  started 
favorite.  In  the  first  heat  Trout  rushed  off  in  front 
and  stepped  Camors  to  the  half  in  i  :oy.  The  black 
gelding  remained  in  front  to  the  "point  of  rock/' 
where  Gloster  sailed  by  and  won  in  2:20^.  On  the 
next  trip  American  Girl  carried  Gloster  to  a  break 
after  passing  the  quarter  and  won  the  heat  in  2:22^. 
The  third  and  fourth  heats  were  gathered  in  by  Gloster 
in  2:21,  2:21.  After  the  race,  Doble,  Hickok  and  W. 
M.  Humphreys  started  for  California  with  Goldsmith 
Maid,  Gloster  and  Judge  Fullerton,  stopping  on  the 
way  at  Dayton  and  Chicago,  where  they  trotted  a  few 
exhibition  races.  On  his  arrival  in  California,  Gloster 


150  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

was  suffering  from  pulmonary  complaint,  and  after  a 
brief  sickness  died. 

Gloster's  death  was  a  severe  blow  for  Alden  Gold- 
smith, as  in  addition  to  being  a  money  winner  from 
the  first  season  that  he  appeared  on  the  turf,  he  had  a 
chance  with  another  season's  work  and  a  careful  prep- 
aration in  Budd  Doble's  hands  to  equal  or  reduce  the 
world's  record.  His  race  record  of  2  117  in  a  third  heat 
was,  when  made,  but  two  and  a  quarter  seconds  from 
the  2:14^4  which  Goldsmith  Maid  placed  on  the  Roch- 
ester stand  two  days  before  in  the  second  heat  of  her 
race  with  American  Girl  and  Judge  Fullerton,  and 
while  the  little  mare  clipped  the  fraction  off  a  few 
weeks  later  at  Mystic  Park,  it  was  not  asking  too 
much  of  a  young  horse  like  Gloster,  who  was  but 
eight  years  old  when  he  died,  to  improve  three  seconds 
on  his  form  of  1874.  In  addition  to  this,  his  success 
was  a  constant  advertisement  for  Volunteer,  whose 
service  fee  was  advanced  to  $250,  and  subsequently  to 
$500.  When  rigged  for  the  races  Gloster  wore  noth- 
ing but  a  plain  shoe  and  a  few  boots  for  protection 
when  he  jumped  out  of  his  stride,  something  that 
all  of  the  trotters  of  that  day  were  guilty  of.  He  stood 
sixteen  and  three-quarter  hands  full,  and  was  the  best 
big  horse  ever  seen  on  the  turf  up  to  the  date  that 
Azote  passed  into  the  hands  of  Salisbury  and  Mc- 
Dowell. 


1874.  151 


Years  following  years,  steal  something  every  day 
At  last  they  steal  us  from  ourselves  away.— Pope. 

The  other  members  of  the  Walnut  Grove  Farm 
stable  opened  the  season  of  1874  the  third  week  in 
June,  at  Jackson,  Mich.,  where  Lady  Morrison  won 
the  2:45  class  and  Ristori,  after  failing  to  save  her 
entrance  in  the  2  130  class,  won  the  2  134  class  and  made 
a  record  of  2:30^.  Lottie,  another  member  of  the 
stable,  started  in  the  2:40  class  and  was  unplaced  to 
Kitty  Wells,  while  Huntress  was  behind  the  money  in 
the  free-for-all,  which  was  won  by  Red  Cloud,  and 
Rescue  distanced  by  Norma.  At  Saginaw,  the  fol- 
lowing week,  Ristori  won  the  2:50  class  without  re- 
ducing her  record,  and  was  beaten  in  the  2 150  class  by 
Charles  Myers'  gelding,  Fox.  Lottie  saved  her  en- 
trance in  the  2  140  class,  in  which  the  big  end  of  the 
purse  went  to  General  Grant,  and  Rescue  was  un- 
placed to  Mambrino  Star.  The  next  start  was  at  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  where  Ristori  broke  down  in  a  third 
heat  and  was  distanced  by  Granville.  At  Indianapolis, 
the  next  stopping  place,  Lady  Morrison  was  the  only 
starter.  She  won  the  2 135  class,  which  was  sand- 
wiched with  the  event  in  which  Goldsmith  Maid  de- 
feated Red  Cloud  and  Judge  Fullerton  in  2:26,  2:253/2, 
2:23.  This  was  the  race  from  which  Red  Cloud  had 
been  drawn,  and  the  spectators  refused  to  let  it  go  on 
without  the  Indiana  bred  gelding.  A  few  bold  spirits 
procured  a  rope,  and  stretching  it  across  the  track, 
made  themselves  hoarse  shouting  "No  Red  Cloud,  No 
Race."  When  Red  Cloud  appeared,  pandemonium 
broke  loose,  and  while  the  Maid  was  not  very  good 


152  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

that   day,   she   managed   to   pull   it  off,   much   to   the 
chagrin'  of  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  spectators. 

After  the  Indianapolis  meeting  the  stable  was 
shipped  to  Chicago,  where  Lady  Morrison  was  dis- 
tanced by  Albert.  It  then  started  east,  but  its  mem- 
bers did  not  figure  prominently  in  any  of  the  events  at 
the  meetings  given  by  the  Quadrilateral  Trotting 
Combination.  At  Buffalo,  Rescue  was  unplaced  in  the 
race  won  by  Nashville  Girl  (May  Queen),  while  he 
managed  to  save  his  entrance  at  Rochester,  as  the  dis- 
tance was  waived  on  account  of  Unknown  being  pro- 
tested, while  Huntress  saved  her  entrance  in  the  race 
won  bv  Nettie  at  Utica  the  same  week. 


JAMES  H.  GOLDSMITH'S  FIRST  CAMPAIGN. 


Every  tub  must  stand  on  its  own  bottom. 

— Bunyan. 

James  H.  Goldsmith's  career  as  a  trainer  and  driver 
dates  from  1874.  He  began  at  Goshen  (while  his 
father  was  in  the  west)  with  a  horse  called  Pelham. 
After  two  races,  in  one  of  which  he  was  distanced  and 
in  the  other  unplaced,  Pelham  was  discarded  and  all 
of  his  attention  given  to  a  bay  gelding  by  Doty's 
Black  Harry  Clay,  out  of  Nell  by  Hambletonian, 
called  Bateman.  He  made  his  debut  in  the  three- 
minute  class  at  Goshen  the  first  week  in  July,  and 
finished  third  to  the  Volunteer  gelding,  Frank  Wood, 
driven  by  W.  E.  Weeks.  At  Deerfoot  Park,  on  Long 
Island,  the  following  week,  Bateman  took  the  word  in 


JAMES  H.  GOLDSMITH'S  FIRST  CAMPAIGN.        153 

two  races,  both  of  which  were  won  by  Asa  Whitson 
with  Uncle  Bill.  Bateman  managed  to  get  a  second 
and  a  third,  as  well  as  a  record  of  2:41,  while  his  natty 
young  driver  was  taken  out  by  the  judges,  but  the 
change  did  not  improve  matters.  The  next  starts 
were  at  Catskill,  where  he  was  beaten  by  Molly  Carew 
and  Uncle  Bill.  Branded  as  a  counterfeit  on  account 
of  the  breeding  of  his  sire,  Bateman  was  driven  home 
in  disgrace,  but  he  lived  to  prove  that  he  was  a  high- 
class  half-mile  track  race  horse,  and  trained  on  to  a 
record  of  2:22*4. 

The  next  starter  from  James  H.  Goldsmith's  stable 
was  the  chestnut  gelding,  John  A.  He  made  his  bow 
in  August  at  Warwick,  where,  after  being  unplaced 
to  a  horse  named  Trout  on  the  first  day  of  the  meet- 
ing, he  was  awarded  second  money  in  the  three-minute 
race,  which  was  won  by  William  H.  Beede  in  2 140. 
After  another  start  at  Goshen,  John  A.  drifted  back  to 
the  farm,  and  nothing  more  was  heard  of  him  until  a 
couple  of  seasons  later,  when  John  Alden  Goldsmith 
one  day,  after  he  had  been  raking  hay,  matched  the  old 
horse  against  a  gelding  called  Edson  for  $100  a  side. 
The  race  was  trotted  at  Warwick,  and  James,  who  was 
of  the  opinion  that  John  had  been  a  trifle  rash  in  mak- 
ing the  match,  drove  John  A.  and  won. 

When  the  horses  that  were  shipped  west  in  June 
returned  to  Walnut  Grove  Farm,  after  the  close  of  the 
Rochester  and  Utica  meetings,  James  took  them  up 
and  started  them  on  the  half-mile  tracks.  At  War- 
wick, the  last  week  in  August,  he  took  the  word  in 
three  races  with  Rescue  and  finished  third  in  one 
event.  At  Goshen  the  following  week  he  was  also 
unplaced  to  May  Bird,  and  Lottie  was  distanced  by 


154  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

Nellie  Walton.  At  Kingston,  Lottie  was  unplaced  to 
Mountaineer,  while  she  won  in  2:40^  at  Chatham. 
Both  Lottie  and  Huntress  were  started  at  the  Sep- 
tember and  October  meetings  at  Prospect  Park, 
Brooklyn,  the  former  being  behind  the  money  in  a 
race  Dan  Mace  won  with  Arthur,  and  distanced  by 
LadytWhite,  and  the  latter  distanced  by  Fleety  Gold- 
dust,  second  to  Bruno  and  third  to  Sensation.  Hunt- 
ress also  won  a  free-for-all  at  Walcottville,  Conn., 
where  she  defeated  Barney  Kelly,  Spotted  Colt  and 
Kittie  D.,  and  was  third  to  Hopeful  in  the  2:21  class 
at  the  Goshen  October  meeting.  At  this  meeting  Res- 
cue was  also  awarded  third  premium  in  the  race,  A.  J. 
Peek  won  with  George  F.  Smith,  a  bay  gelding  by 
Niagara  Chief  and  Lottie,  after  trotting  a  dead  heat 
with  Lady  Annie  in  2:33*4,  finished  third  to  Peek's 
horse,  Bonner.  He  also  defeated  her  the  following 
week  at  Poughkeepsie. 


1875. 

He  trained  her  and  raced  her  to  lower  the  mark. 

All  of  the  racing  material  in  the  Walnut  Grove 
Farm  stable  was  in  charge  of  James  H.  Goldsmith 
when  the  bell  rang  in  1875,  and  from  that  date  until 
the  stock  passed  under  the  hammer  of  Peter  C.  Kel- 
logg &  Co.,  at  the  American  Horse  Exchange,  New 
York,  March  i  and  2,  1887,  he  drove  all  of  his  father's 
horses  with  the  exception  of  a  few  races  in  the  fall  of 
1879  and  the  horses  that  started  in  1880,  of  which  men- 
tion will  be  made  at  the  proper  time.  The  returns  for 


1875.  155 

the  first  campaign  show  that  the  season  opened  at 
Deerfoot  Park,  on  Long  Island,  May  13,  where  Lottie 
won  a  five-heat  race,  reducing  her  record  to  2 133^  in 
the  deciding  heat,  and  closed  November  12  at  Balti- 
more, where  Bateman  trotted  second  to  Annie  Collins. 
In  addition  to  the  two  horses  named,  James  Goldsmith 
started  Lady  Morrison,  Effie  Deans,  Alley,  Huntress, 
Sister  and  Prince  in  sixty-one  races,  of  which  he  won 
fifteen,  was  second  in  thirteen,  third  in  seven,  fourth 
in  seven  and  unplaced  in  nineteen. 

Effie  Deans  made  her  first  start  at  the  New  York 
May  meeting,  where  she  was  unplaced  to  Toronto  Maid 
and  Mat  Tanner.  At  Goshen,  the  following  week,  she 
showed  a  decided  improvement,  as  after  trotting  sec- 
ond to  Lucca  in  a  six-heat  race  on  the  opening  day  of 
the  meeting,  she  two  days  later  defeated  the  same 
mare  in  straight  heats  in  the  2 150  class.  Of  the  other 
starters  at  this  meeting  Bateman  won  the  2 139  class, 
Lady  Morrison  trotted  second  to  Zephyr,  driven  by 
W.  C.  Trimble,  and  Lottie  was  unplaced  to  Adelaide. 
The  next  starts  were  made  at  Prospect  Park,  Brook- 
lyn, where  Effie  Deans  was  awarded  the  third  premiums 
in  the  races  won  by  Nettie  Burlew  and  J.  G.  Blaine. 
She  was  also  fourth  to  Snowball  at  Ambler  Park, 
Philadelphia,  where  Lady  Morrison  won  the  2 135  class 
and  Bateman  saved  his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by 
Andrew,  to  whom  he  was  second  at  Norristown  the 
following  week,  where  Lady  Morrison  was  again  a 
winner.  At  Paterson,  the  third  week  in  June,  EfKe 
Deans  won  two  firsts,  Bateman  a  first  and  Lottie  a  sec- 
ond, while  at  Amenia,  two  weeks  later,  Bateman  won 
the  2 135  class,  EfBe  Deans  was  fourth  to  Frank  F.  and 
Alley  made  his  debut,  the  record  showing  that  he  was 


156  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

drawn  after  trotting  two  heats  in  a  race  won  by  Judge 
Robertson  in  2:39.  After  trotting  second  to  Lady 
White  with  Effie  Deans  at  White  Plains,  the  stable 
shipped  to  Poughkeepsie  to  take  part  in  the  first  Cen- 
tral Trotting,  Circuit  meeting  held  over  the  mile  track. 
During  the  week  Huntress  started  in  three  events,  her 
first  appearance  being  on  the  opening  day  in  the  2:18 
class,  in  which  she  finished  third  to  Hopeful.  Two 
days  later  she  trotted  second  to  Sensation,  and  on  the 
following  day  was  third  to  Goldsmith  Maid  in  an  open 
event,  her  winnings  for  the  week  amounting  to  $2,650. 
Of  the  other  starters  at  Poughkeepsie,  Sister  was  un- 
placed to  St.  Julien,  Bateman  trotted  second  to  Nelly 
Walton,  and  Effie  Deans  saved  her  entrance  in  a  race 
won  by  Jack  Draper. 

Those  who  have  read  the  sketch  of  the  Grand  Cir- 
cuit in  "Fasig's  Tales  of  the  Turf  will  remember  that 
the  Poughkeepsie  meeting  clashed  with  Buffalo  and 
was  the  first  at  which  the  entrance  fee  was  fixed 
at  five  per  cent.  On  the  following  week  the  horses 
which  were  at  the  conflicting  meetings  met  at  Roch- 
ester. The  Goldsmiths  were  there  and  started  Effie 
Deans  and  Bateman,  both  of  which  were  behind  the 
money  in  the  races  won  by  Adelaide  and  Lady  Turpin, 
respectively.  At  Springfield,  the  following  week, 
Sister,  Lady  Morrison,  Effie  Deans,  Bateman  and 
Huntress  started,  all  of  them  being  unplaced,  while  at 
Hartford,  Sister,  after  losing  her  entrance  in  the  first 
race,  won  by  St.  Julien,  was  second  to  him  on  his  next 
appearance  in  2 123^,  while  Bateman  saved  his  en- 
trance in  the  big  betting  race  won  by  Lady  Snell. 

After  the  meeting  at  Charter  Oak  Park  the  Gold- 
smith stable  shipped  to  Syracuse,  where  Lady  Morri- 


157 


son  and  Sister  were  unplaced  and  Bateman  won  the 
2:31  class.  He  also  won  again  at  Kingston,  Lady 
Morrison  trotting  third  to  Frank  Munson,  Alley 
second  to  Judge  Robertson  and  Effie  Deans  unplaced 
the  same  week.  Elmira  was  the  next  stand,  the  re- 
turns for  the  meeting  showing  a  first  for  Bateman  and 
Huntress  second  to  Carrie  in  the  free-for-all,  while  at 
Owego  the  latter  won  the  open  event  and  Bateman 
was  second  to  Planter,  a  chestnut  gelding  by  Red  Bird. 
After  this  meeting  Bateman,  Lottie  and  Alley  were 
taken  to  Point  Breeze  Park,  Philadelphia,  where  Bate- 
man was  third  to  Frank  Palmer,  Alley  fourth  to  Flora 
Windsor  and  Lottie  unplaced  to  Billy  Ray.  Their 
next  starts  were  at  Woodbury,  N.  J.,  where  Bateman 
and  Alley  won  and  Lottie  was  again  unplaced.  Bate- 
man also  won  a  first  and  Alley  a  third  at  Pottstown. 
This  meeting  was  held  the  last  week  in  October,  after 
which  Bateman  was  started  at  Washington  and  Bal- 
timore before  going  into  winter  quarters.  The  fol- 
lowing table  presents  a  synopsis  of  what  the  Walnut 
Grove  Farm  stable  did  in  1875 : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

£ 

•d 

a 

*H 
2 
H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Bateman 

2-27 

Black's  Harry  Clay  .   . 

18 

s 

4 

i 

2 

3 

$5500  00 

Huntress  

Volunteer  

6 

2 

2 

1 

3,400  00 

Effie  Deans  

2-35 

Hambletonian  

15 

3 

2 

2 

4 

4 

2,155  00 

Sister 

2-30# 

Volunteer  .  .              ... 

5 

2 

3 

1,750  00 

Alley  

2:35 

Volunteer  

6 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

825  00 

Lady  Morrison  .  .  . 
Lottie 

2:33^ 

2-33^ 

Volunteer  
H  ambletonian 

6 
4 

2 

1 
1 

1 

2 
3 

60000 
250  00 

Prince 

1 

1 

Total 

HI 

15 

13 

7 

7 

19 

$14,480  00 

158  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1876— BATEMAN, 


I  could  hear  the  pikers  laugh 

And  call  him  a  giraffe, 

When  he  stepped  behind  the  field  to  the  turn; 

But  they  modified  the  smile, 

At  the  end  of  the  mile, 

As  they  saw  he  had  speed  to  burn. 

When  I  brushed  him  to  his  limit, 

And  found  they  were  not  in  it, 

I  took  him  back  and  won  it  by  a  head; 

Then  they  said  he  was  a  Clay 

And  was  sure  to  die  away, 

But  Bate'  was  full  of  race — when  they  were  dead. 

There  were  nine  horses  in  James  H.  Goldsmith's 
stable  when  he  shipped  to  Washington  the  first  week 
in  May,  the  new  material  being  known  as  Trio,  a 
sister  to  Huntress,  Oscar  and  Driver.  Oscar  led  off 
on  the  opening  day  at  Ivy  City  by  winning  a  $1,000 
purse  for  three-minute  trotters,  and  followed  it  up  by 
trotting  third  and  second  on  consecutive  days  at  the 
same  meeting  to  the  Legal  Tender  gelding,  Faugh-a- 
Ballagh,  that  M.  J.  Doyle  had  brought  on  from  Savan- 
nah, Ga.  Effie  Deans,  Huntress  and  Lady  Morrison 
also  won  their  engagements  and  Bateman  trotted 
second  to  Joe  Brown.  At  Brightwood,  the  following 
week,  the  Clay  gelding  was  third  to  the  same  horse, 
and  when  Oscar,  Effie  Deans  and  Lady  Morrison  fin- 
ished their  races  each  of  them  had  a  third  money  due 
them.  In  the  free-for-all  Huntress  won  over  W.  H. 
Crawford  with  Annie  Collins  and  John  H.  From 
Washington  the  stable  moved  on  to  Philadelphia  for 


1876 — BATEMAN.  159 

four  weeks,  its  members  having  engagements  at  the 
Suffolk  Park,  Point  Breeze,  Belmont  Park  and  Ambler 
Park  meetings.  During  the  series  Bateman  was 
awarded  a  second,  a  third  and  two  fourths,  being  de- 
feated in  two  races  by  the  George  Wilkes  mare,  May 
Bird,  in  one  by  Joe  Brown  and  one  by  the  Magna 
Charta  mare,  Hannah  D.  Trio  made  her  first  start 
at  Suffolk  Park,  where  she  finished  second  to  Lady 
Daniels.  She  won  her  engagements  at  Ambler  and 
Belmont,  making  a  record  of  2 129^  over  the  latter. 
Lady  Morrison  won  the  2 130  class  at  Ambler,  after 
being  unplaced  to  General  Tweed  at  Belmont,  while 
Alley  was  third  to  Clifton  Boy  at  Suffolk  and  second 
to  the  Happy  Medium  horse,  Fleetwood,  at  Belmont. 
During  the  four  weeks  Effie  Deans  started  in  three 
races,  her  slip  showing  a  fourth  to  General  Howard 
at  Suffolk  Park,  a  second  to  Slow  Go  at  Point  Breeze 
and  unplaced  to  the  same  horse  at  Belmont.  Hunt- 
ress was  started  twice,  being  third  to  Adelaide  at 
Ambler  and  fourth  to  John  H.  at  Belmont,  where 
Lottie  was  unplaced  to  Dora. 

After  a  trip  to  Pottstown,  where  Alley  was  de- 
feated by  George  A.  Ayers  and  Little  May  and  Lottie 
won  a  race  in  slow  time,  the  stable  shipped  to  Elmira, 
N.  Y.,  where,  on  June  15,  Driver,  the  most  successful 
campaigner  of  the  harness  turf,  took  the  word  in  his 
first  race  and  won  in  2 136,  defeating  A.  J.  Feek  with 
Lysander  Boy.  Huntress  and  Alley  also  won  their 
engagements  that  .week,  while  Lottie,  after  winning 
the  2 130  class,  was  unplaced  to  Butcher  Boy,  and 
Bateman  saved  his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by  Jack 
Draper.  The  next  stop  was  at  Poughkeepsie,  where 


160  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

Alley  won  the  2:34  and  2:31  classes,  making  a  record 
of  2 130,  while  Driver,  after  being  unplaced  to  Lady 
Mills  on  the  opening  day,  pulled  off  the  2  145  trot,  re- 
ducing his  record  to  2  133,  and  Lottie  was  behind  the 
money  in  the  race  that  W.  E.  Weeks  won  with  the 
Ethan  Alleri  gelding,  Judge.  Driver  cut  his  record 
to  2 130^  at  the  Hartford  June  meeting,  where  he 
trotted  second  to  Wesley  P.  Balch's  mare,  Grateful, 
and  saved  his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by  Dick  Moore. 
Alley  also  won  a  second  and  a  fourth  that  week,  the 
races  in  which  he  started  being  awarded  Hazor  and 
Charley  Mack,  while  Susie  defeated  both  Huntress 
and  Bateman.  This  pair  were  also  defeated  in  their 
engagements  at  Hampden  Park,  Springfield,  July  4, 
Bateman  trotting  third  to  Mace,  with  Royal  George, 
and  Huntress  second  to  Susie  in  the  free-for-all. 

Efne  Deans,  Lottie  and  Lady  Morrison  were  sent 
back  to  the  farm  before  the  stable  was  shipped  west 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  Driver  won  the  Burnett 
House  Purse  and  trotted  fourth  to  Lady  K.  Of  the 
other  starters  at  Chester  Park,  Huntress  was  second 
to  Susie,  while  Alley,  Bateman  and  Oscar  were  un- 
placed in  the  events  won  by  Hylas,  Frank  Reeves  and 
the  Blue  Bull  gelding,  Russell,  respectively.  After 
stopping  at  Columbus,  where  Bateman  was  second  to 
Elsie  Good,  Huntress  fourth  to  Joe  Brown  and  Trio 
and  Oscar  unplaced,  the  Goldsmiths  shipped  to  Cleve- 
land and  dropped  into  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Grand  Circuit.  Bateman  and  Trio  were  their  only 
starters  that  season,  the  record  of  the  trip  showing 
that  Bateman  was  unplaced  to  Lewinski  at  Cleveland, 
second  to  Elsie  Good  at  Buffalo,  unplaced  to.  Great 


1876 — BATEMAN.  161 

Eastern  at  Rochester  and  Utica,  fourth  to  Great  East- 
ern at  Poughkeepsie,  fourth  to  Hannah  D.  at  Hart- 
ford and  second  to  the  same  mare  at  Springfield. 
Trio  was  in  the  same  class  as  General  Grant  at  Cleve- 
land, Buffalo  and  Rochester,  where  the  Iowa  horse 
went  amiss  after  winning  his  race.  She  won  second 
money  at  Cleveland,  third  at  Buffalo,  where  she 
trotted  to  her  record,  2  123^4,  and  third  at  Rochester. 
When  General  Grant  dropped  out,  Planter  was  in  the 
way,  Trio  finishing  fourth  to  him  at  Utica,  second  at 
Hartford  and  unplaced  at  Springfield,  while  the  Ham- 
bletonian  mare,  Mattie,  defeated  both  her  and  Planter 
at  Poughkeepsie  after  each  of  them  had  won  two 
heats.  During  the  balance  of  the  season  Bateman 
trotted  second  to  Tanner  Boy  at  Kingston,  where 
Driver  saved  his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by  the 
Maine  bred  trotter,  Bay,  by  Gideon,  was  again 
second  to  Tanner  Boy  at  New  York,  where  W. 
H.  Beede  defeated  Oscar,  was  second  to  Belle 
Brasfield  at  Doylestown  and  second  to  W.  H. 
Doble  with  Rip  Rap  at  Woodbury.  The  campaign  of 
Centennial  Year  closed  at  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  Novem- 
ber 2,  where  Result  defeated  Driver  after  a  six-heat 
contest,  in  which  Tommy  Ryan  and  Moscow  won 
heats. 

During  the  season  James  H.  Goldsmith  started  in 
eighty-four  races,  of  which  he  won  sixteen,  while,  as 
is  shown  by  the  following  table,  Bateman,  his  largest 
money  winner,  was  second  in  ten  of  the  twenty-two 
races  in  which  he  took  the  word  and  the  summaries  of 
the  events  also  show  that  he  did  not  win  a  heat : 


162 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

£ 

Second. 

i 

2 
H 

Fourth. 

t 
p 

Amount 
Won. 

Black's  Harry  Clay. 

W, 

10 

3 

4 

$3,980  00 

Trio                     .... 

2:23# 

Volunteer  

11 

91 

4 

? 

2 

3,550  00 

2-26% 

Volunteer 

11 

3 

3 

1 

4 

3,500  00 

Alley 

2:28K 

Volunteer  

10 

R 

3 

2 

1 

1,905  00 

Driver              

2:30^ 

Volunteer  

9 

3 

1 

3 

2 

1,45000 

Rffie  Deans 

2:25  J£ 

Hambletonian    

6 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1,100  00 

Lady  Morrison  .... 

2:27^ 

Volunteer  

3 

1 

1 

1 

975  00 

239 

Reserve          .           

7 

1 

1 

ft 

3 

960  00 

Lottie 

Hambletonian  

5 

2 

3 

367  50 

Total  

84 

16 

24 

12 

15 

17 

$17,787  50 

1877— POWERS. 

Powers  flashed  like  a  comet  in  front  of  the  field, 
Winning  the  first  moneys  everywhere; 
Mace  watched  him  with  wonder,  but  victory  wheeled 
When  he  started  at  Boston  and  scored  with  Voltaire. 

The  Volunteer  geldings,  Powers,  Alley  and 
Driver,  were  the  main  stays  of  James  H.  Goldsmith's 
stable  in  1877.  Alley  and  Driver  were  foaled  in  1868, 
the  former  making  his  first  start  as  a  seven-year-old 
and  the  latter  the  season  he  was  eight.  Powers  was 
also  an  eight-year-old  when  he  made  his  debut  at 
Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  May  16,  1877,  and  that  he  was 
worth  waiting  for  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  during 
the  first  thirteen  days  of  his  turf  career  he  won  five 
races  in  fifteen  heats  and  made  a  mark  of  2  129^.  His 


1877 — POWERS,  163 

record  shows  two  firsts  at  Rhinebeck,  two  firsts  at 
Poughkeepsie,  where  Alley  won  the  2 :2?  class,  Lottie 
a  fourth  to  Lady  Mills  and  Huntress  a  second  to  May 
Bird,  after  winning  two  heats  and  a  dead  heat,  and 
one  at  New  York,  where  Bateman  finished  second  to 
Big  Fellow  and  Lottie  third  to  Young  Sentinel  the 
same  week.  During  the  Boston  meetings  at  Mystic 
and  Beacon  Parks,  Powers  won  two  more  races  and 
was  twice  second  to  Voltaire,  winning  heats  in  each 
of  the  races  he  lost  and  reduced  his  record  to  2:24. 
At  these  meetings' Bateman  picked  up  two  seconds 
and  a  third,  Driver  a  second  and  a  fourth  and  Lottie 
a  second  to  Clara  J.  While  these  horses  were  trot- 
ting at  Mystic  Park  another  section  of  the  Walnut 
Grove  Farm  stable  appeared  at  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  where 
Alley  won  the  2:28  class,  Pelham  a  second,  while 
Compromise  had  only  a  fourth  to  show  after  three 
starts.  After  starting  at  Albany,  where  Alley  won  a 
race  and  Pelham  was  third  to  W.  H.  Arnold,  and  a 
trip  to  Dover,  N.  H.,  where  Lottie  won  a  four-heat 
race  and  made  her  record  of  2:28^2,  Powers  the  2:38 
class  and  Driver  a  third  to  Martha  Washington,  the 
stable  returned  to  Poughkeepsie,  where  Powers  and 
Alley  were  again  returned  as  winners,  Lottie  awarded 
second  in  the  race  won  by  Young  Sentinel,  and  the 
gray  mare,  Nielson,  a  fourth  to  Jack  Barry. 

Both  Alley  and  Driver  won  the  events  in  which 
they  were  entered  at  Springfield  the  second  week  in 
July,  the  former  reducing  his  record  to  2:24  and  the 
latter  cutting  his  mark  to  2:25.  Powers  also  started 
at  the  same  meeting  and  was  unplaced  to  Lady  Snell. 
They  were  then  shipped  to  Cleveland,  while  the  other 
members  of  the  stable  moved  over  to  Boston,  where 


164  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

Bateman  won  two  races,  Huntress  trotted  second  to 
Lady  Mac  and  Pelham  second  to  Belle  Oakley. 

At  the  first  three  Grand  Circuit  meetings  there 
was  too  much  speed  abroad  for  the  Volunteer  geld- 
ings. The  summaries  show  that  Powers  was  second 
to  Mazo-Manie  at  Cleveland,  unplaced  to  White 
Stockings  at  Buffalo  and  fourth  to  the  same  horse  at 
Rochester.  At  Cleveland,  Driver  was  unplaced  to 
Jennie  Holton,  second  to  Versailles  Girl  at  Buffalo 
and  fourth  to  Lady  Pritchard  aj:  Rochester,  while 
Alley  was  fourth  to  Little  Gypsy  at  Cleveland,  sec- 
ond to  Richard  at  Buffalo,  after  winning  two  heats, 
and  fourth  to  Lew  Scott  at  Rochester,  where  Bate- 
man joined  the  stable  and  was  unplaced  in  the  race 
won  by  King  Philip.  The  unexpected  happened  at 
Utica  the  following  week,  when,  after  a  two  days'  con- 
test, Powers  won  a  six-heat  race,  reduced  his  record 
to  2:21^4  in  a  fifth  heat  and  trimmed  White  Stockings 
after  the  Missouri  gelding  had  won  two  heats,  his 
record  of  2 :2i  being  made  in  one  of  them.  It  was 
Powers'  last  race  for  the  season.  Of  the  other  starters 
at  Utica,  both  Alley  and  Bateman  were  unplaced  and 
Driver  third  to  Jennie  Holton.  At  Poughkeepsie, 
Bateman  trotted  second  to  James  Golden  with  Dick 
Swiveller,  and  Driver  was  second  to  Richard,  while 
the  following  week  at  Hartford,  Alley  won  third 
money  in  the  race  Peter  Mclntyre  placed  to  the  credit 
of  Voltaire.  The  same  pair  met  at  Mystic  Park  the 
following  week,  when  Alley  was  second,  the  returns 
for  the  other  members  of  the  stable  that  week  being 
Bateman  second  to  Lysander  Boy,  Huntress  third  to 
John  H.,  Neilson  third  to  Schuyler  and  Pelham  un- 
placed to  Wild  Lily.  At  Beacon,  Bateman  trotted 


1877 — POWERS  165 

fourth  to  Hazor,  Alley  fourth  to  Dick  Swiveller, 
Huntress  second  to  John  H.  and  Neilson  fourth  to 
Schuyler. 

After  a  trip  to  Providence,  where  Bateman  was 
third  to  Trampoline,  Huntress  third  to  Prospero, 
Driver  fourth  to  Dick  Swiveller,  and  Neilson  un- 
placed to  Schuyler,  the  Goldsmith  stable  visited 
Elmira  and  Syracuse.  At  these  two  meetings  Neil- 
son  was  started  in  five  races  and  was  awarded  four 
firsts  and  a  second.  Bateman  and  Driver  won  their 
engagements  at  Elmira,  where  Huntress  trotted 
second  to  Joseph  A.,  who  went  on  and  won  after  Al- 
bemarle,  the  winner  of  the  first  two  heats  was  dis- 
tanced in  the  third  by  throwing  a  toe  weight.  While 
these  meetings  were  in  progress  Alley  was  started  at 
Goshen  and  Newburg  and  trotted  second  to  George 
B.  Daniels  at  each  town,  while  the  Hambletonian 
gelding,  Aleck,  with  John  Alden  Goldsmith  in  the 
sulky,  won  at  Newburg  and  Middletown. 

From  Syracuse  the  other  section  of  the  stable  re- 
turned to  New  England,  the  first  starts  being  at  Bea- 
con Park,  where  Neilson  won  the  2 137  and  2 134 
classes  and  was  unplaced  to  Forest  King  in  her  third 
race  during  the  week.  Driver  also  won  at  Beacon, 
while  Bateman  was  unplaced  to  Joe  Ripley.  After 
starting  Neilson  at  Dover,  where  she  was  again  un- 
placed to  Forest  King,  and  winning  a  third  at  Fleet- 
wood  Park,  New  York,  with  Driver,  the  campaign  of 
1877  closed  the  first  week  in  November  at  Narragan- 
sett  Park,  Providence,  where  both  Bateman  and  Neil- 
son  were  behind  the  money,  while  Driver  kept  his 
end  up  by  finishing  second  to  Wild  Lily.  As  is 
shown  by  the  following  table,  the  W^alnut  Grove 


166 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Farm  stable  in  1877  won  thirty-one  firsts  out  of 
ninety-seven  races  and  marked  seven  of  the  nine 
horses  that  took  the  word : 


Starters. 

•g 
M 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

Second. 

1 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Powers 

2-211/ 

Volunteer 

Hi 

10 

2 

1 

1 

0 

$5  010  00 

Alley         

2-24 

Volunteer 

14 

4 

1 

8 

1 

4  100  00 

Driver  

2:25 

Volunteer  .  . 

14 

3 

4 

3 

1 

3  195  CO 

Bateman  

Black  H  arry  Clay  

15 

4 

2 

4 

1 

4 

1,995  00 

Huntress  .  . 

Volunteer 

i 

4 

2 

1  475  00 

Neilsoh  

2:31  % 

16 

tf 

2 

1 

2 

5 

1,280  00 

Lottie 

228^ 

Hambletonian 

fi 

1 

1 

1 

1  095  00 

Pelham  
Aleck  

2.38 

2:39 

Volunteer  
Hambletonian  

5 
I 

1 

3 

1 

27000 
100  00 

Compromise 

3 

1 

2 

15  00 

Total  .  .  . 

97 

31 

24 

14 

12 

16 

$18,535  00 

1878— DRIVER. 


He  had  naught  to  commend  him  but  courage, 
His  ribs  were  as  rough  as  a  shelf, 
But  when  Driver  was  out  for  the  money, 
He  was  in  a  class  by  himself. 

Both  James  and  John  Goldsmith  were  actively 
identified  with  the  training  of  the  horses  in  the  Wal- 
nut Grove  Farm  stable  in  1878,  the  latter  making  his 
first  appearance  at  a  prominent  meeting  on  June  13 
at  Fleetwood  Park,  New  York,  where  he  won  a  four- 
heat  race  with  Driver  over  Modesty,  Nelly  Irwin, 


1878 — DRIVER.  167 

Vivandiere,  Result,  Young  Sentinel  and  Charley 
Green.  Prior  to  that  meeting  the  horses  had  started 
at  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn,  where  Alley  was  second 
to  Vulcan,  Oscar  third  to  Happy  Jack,  Sister  fourth 
to  Modesty  and  the  Brother  to  Alley  unplaced  to  J. 
M.  Oakley,  at  Philadelphia,  during  the  Suffolk,  Point 
Breeze  and  Ambler  Park  meetings,  where  Alley  won 
two  races,  Bateman  a  first  and  two  seconds,  Huntress 
a  second,  the  Brother  to  Alley  a  fourth,  while  Sister, 
Wildfire  and  Oscar  were  unplaced,  and  at  Plainville, 
Conn.,  where  Powers  was  second  to  Richard  and 
Sweetness,  who  is  now  remembered  as  the  dam  of 
Sidney,  second  to  Margurite,  by  Hambletonian,  in 
the  only  race  placed  to  her  credit.  The  other  starters 
at  the  Fleetwood  Park  meetings,  where  John  Alden 
Goldsmith  made  his  metropolitan  debut  as  a  reins- 
man,  were  Lottie  and  Huntress,  the  former  finishing 
second  to  Steve  Maxwell  and  the  latter  fourth  to 
Nettie. 

While  the  Xew  York  meeting  was  in  progress, 
James  was  at  Providence,  where  he  won  with  Alley 
and  Sweetness,  the  latter  making  a  record  of  2 130, 
trotted  second  to  Dio  with  Oscar  and  was  unplaced 
to  vSooner  with  Bateman.  He  then  moved  on  to  the 
Boston  meetings  at  Beacon  and  Mystic  Parks,  and  the 
meeting  at  Granite  State  Park,  Dover,  N.  H.,  winning 
two  firsts  and  a  second  with  Powers,  two  seconds 
with  Bateman,  a  second  and  a  third  with  Oscar,  a 
third  with  Alley,  and  a  fourth  with  Sweetness  at  the 
three,  while  on  the  same  dates  John  won  a  first  with 
Huntress  at  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn,  a  first  at  Nor- 
wich, Conn.,  where  she  defeated  Nelly  Irwin,  Kansas 
Chief  and  Parkis'  Abdallah,  and  a  first  at  Brooklyn 
\\ 


168  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

with  Lottie.  He  then  shipped  the  two  mares  and 
Driver  to  Bradford,  Pa.,  where  the  latter  won  over 
the  Blue  Mare,  Clifton  Boy,  Hannah  D.  and  Ver- 
sailles Girl.  James  was  at  Hartford  the  same  week 
and  won  with  Bateman  and  Powers,  Oscar  finishing 
second  to  John  Hall,  and  Alley  second  to  Geo.  B. 
Daniels.  The  next  stop  was  at  Plainville,  where 
Bateman,  Alley  and  Powers  were  winners  and  Oscar 
fourth  to  ^Emulus.  After  finishing  second  to  Myrtle 
with  Oscar,  and  second  to  Geo.  B.  Daniels  with  Alley 
at  Providence  the  following  week,  James  H.  Gold- 
smith shipped  to  Buffalo,  where  the  two  stables  were 
united,  John  returning  to  the  farm  with  Lottie  and 
Huntress.  Of  the  three  starters  at  Buffalo,  Driver 
was  the  only  one  in  the  money,  Bateman  being  un- 
placed to  Nancy  Hackett,  and  Powers  in  the  same 
predicament  in  the  race  won  by  Protiene.  At  Roch- 
ester, Driver  and  Bateman  were  unplaced,  while 
Powers  won  the  2  120  class,  after  John  H.  had  won  the 
first  heat  in  2:24^4,  Banquo  the  second  in  2:22^,  May 
Queen  the  third  in  2:23^4,  and  Adelaide  the  fourth 
in  2  :22,  the  time  for  his  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  heats 
being  2:22,  2:22,  2:24*4.  He  also  won  a  six-heat  race 
at  Utica  the  next  week,  it  being  the  last  one  placed  to 
his  credit.  When  the  word  was  given,  Richard 
stepped  out  and  won  the  first  heat  in  2:21.  The  sec- 
ond heat  went  to  Adelaide  in  the  same  notch,  and 
Powers  gathered  in  the  third  in  2:21,  his  record.  He 
also  won  the  fourth  in  2:21^  and  the  race  in  2:22^, 
after  Adelaide  had  added  the  fifth  heat  in  2:23^  to 
her  score.  Bateman,  through  Nancy  Hackett,  being 
distanced,  received  second  premium  at  Utica  in  the 
race  won  by  Jersey  Boy,  while  Driver  was  fourth  in 


1878 — DRIVER.  169 

the  memorable  race  won  by  Edward,  and  which 
caused  those  who  were  connected  with  it  no  end  of 
trouble. 

From  Utica  the  stable  shipped  to  Hartford,  where 
Bateman  was  started  in  the  2  126  class  with  Wolford 
Z.,  Steve  Maxwell,  Result,  Jersey  Boy,  Lady  Voor- 
hees  and  Goldfinder,  and  won,  making  his  record  of 
2:22^4  in  a  fifth  heat.  During  the  stop  at  Charter 
Oak,  Driver  trotted  third  to  Edward,  Dick  Moore 
being  between  him  and  Frank  Work's  old  favorite, 
and  Powers  was  unplaced  to  Albemarle.  The  next 
move  was  to  Plainville,  where  Driver  won  the  2:25 
class,  Alley  a  third  to  Dick  Moore  and  Powers  a 
second  to  Feek  with  Lysander  Boy.  After  stopping 
at  Providence,  where  Alley  was  unplaced  to  Dick 
Moore  and  Powers  third  in  the  last  race  won  by  Ed- 
ward ;  his  future  pole  mate,  Dick  Swiveller,  being  one 
of  the  competitors,  as  well  as  winning  two  heats  ;  the 
Goldsmiths  shipped  to  Elmira,  where  Driver  won  the 
free-for-all  and  the  2 :22  class,  Judgment  saved  his 
entrance  in  two  races  and  May  Day,  a  recent  pur- 
chase, that  had  been  campaigned  by  Hiram  G.  Smith, 
was  unplaced  to  Champion  Girl.  This  was  the  only 
race  in  which  the  Goldsmiths  started  May  Day. 
They  subsequently  sold  her,  together  with  Sweetness 
and  Kate,  sister  to  Powers,  to  Monroe  Salisbury.  He 
took  them  to  California  and  bred  them,  May  Day  pro- 
ducing Margaret  S.,  2:12^2,  Sweetness  the  well- 
known  sire,  Sidney,  2:19^4,  and  Kate  the  trotter, 
Homestake,  2:14%. 

After  winning  a  first  with   Driver  and   a   second 
with     Judgment    at    Batavia,    James    H.    Goldsmith 
shipped  to  Newark,  where  Alley  won  the  2:23  class. 


170  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

The  next  starts  were  at  Dover,  Del.,  where  Driver 
won  a  class  race  and  Judgment  finished  second  in  two 
events  to  Sherman  Morgan.  Bateman  was  also 
started  the  same  week  at  Lewistown,  Pa.,  in  the  free- 
for-all  and  won  it.  These  meetings  were  followed  by 
two  weeks'  racing  at  Belmont  and  Point  Breeze 
Parks,  Philadelphia,  at  which  James  H.  Goldsmith 
started  five  horses  in  ten  races,  his  returns  for  the 
fortnight  being  one  first  with  Driver,  three  seconds 
with  Bateman,  a  second  and  a  third  with  Powers,  a 
fourth  with  Bateman,  while  Alley  was  distanced  by 
Trampoline  and  Bateman  unplaced  in  the  race  that 
Hambletonian  Mambrino  won  at  Belmont. 

The  next  starts  were  at  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn, 
where  Driver  won  the  2 124  class  and  Powers  saved 
his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by  Lysander  Boy.  Driver 
also  won  a  race  at  Providence  the  following  week, 
while  Powers  trotted  second  to  Kansas  Chief  and 
Judgment  was  defeated  by  Richmond  and  Noontide, 
the  daughter  of  Harold,  whose  dam,  Midnight,  was 
again  represented  at  Narragansett  Park  in  1884,  when 
Jay  Eye  See,  her  foal  by  Dictator,  cut  the  world's 
record  for  trotters  to  2:10.  During  the  balance  of  the 
season  Driver  trotted  second  to  Darby  at  Fleetwood 
Park,  New  York,  and  Bateman,  after  finishing  second 
to  Hambletonian  Rattler  at  Richmond,  Va.,  won  at 
Norfolk,  Va.,  on  November  14,  just  six  months  from 
the  date  that  he  began  his  campaign  at  Suffolk  Park, 
Philadelphia.  Huntress  was  also  taken  up  again  in 
September  and  started  by  John  Alden  Goldsmith  at 
Ogdensburg  and  Malone,  N.  Y.,  where  she  was 
second  to  Clifton  Boy,  and  in  two  races  at  Montreal, 
where  she  was  again  beaten  by  Clifton  Boy  and  Ben 


1 879 — ALLEY. 


171 


Morrell.  During  the  season  the  Goldsmiths  started 
fourteen  horses  in  one  hundred  and  eleven  races,  of 
which  they  won  thirty,  as  shown  by  the  following 
table : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

1 

02 

2 

£ 

•d 

I 

13 
1 

Fourth. 

t 
fa 

Amount 
Won. 

Powers        

2:21 

Volunteer 

16 

6 

2 

5 

1 

0 

$3  960  00 

Driver  
Bateman  
Huntress     

2:24 

2:22V4 

Volunteer  
Black  Harry  Clay  
Volunteer  

13 

19 

7 

8 
6 
2 

8 
3 

2 
1 

1 
1 
1 

2 
4 

3,790  00 
2,765  00 
1  907  50 

Alley  
Oscar  
Judgement  

2:30 

Volunteer  
Reserve  
Black  Milo  

14 
11 
13 

6 

3 
3 

7 

2 
3 

1 

1 
2 

3 
4 
^ 

1,780  00 
627  50 
605  00 

Sweetness  

2:30 

Volunteer  

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

435  00 

Lottie  
Edgar  

2:28 

Hambletonian  
Col.  Winfield  

4 
1 

1 

1 
1 

2 

26500 

22  50 

Wildfire 

2 

1 

1 

20  00 

Sister 

Volunteer 

2 

1 

1 

20  00 

Brother  to  Alley 

Volunteer 

4 

1 

^ 

15  00 

May  Day  

Ballard'sC.M.  Clayjr 

1 

1 

Total  

111 

30 

27 

16 

13 

25 

$16,212  50 

1879— ALLEY. 


Step  your  trotters  while  you  can, 
Crack  your  whips  and  make  them  rally, 
Hustle,  Murphy!     Go  it,  Dan! 
Goldsmith's  out  to  win  with  Alley. 

Driver  and  Alley  were  all  that  the  Goldsmiths  had 
to  depend  on  for  the  campaign  of  1879.  Eight  others 
were  tried  and  discarded  before  the  Grand  Circuit 
opened  at  Cleveland.  In  May,  at  Washington,  where 


172  THE   GOLDSMITHS 

Driver  won  the  2  \2.2.  class,  Aleck  was  started  and  dis- 
tanced, while  during  the  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore 
meetings  Judgment  was  started  in  five  races  and 
Edgar  in  four  without  coming  up  to  expectations.  At 
the  Ambler  Park  meeting,  where  Driver  was  awarded 
first  money  in  the  2:20  class,  James  H.  Goldsmith 
also  had  a  mount  behind  Change,  his  first  pacer,  and 
finished  third  to  Little  Mac.  Shipping  west  from 
Baltimore,  the  Walnut  Grove  Farm  stable  stopped  at 
Lyons  and  Geneva,  where  Alley  defeated  the  old 
campaigner,  Tom  Keeler,  in  the  2  '.24  class,  and  Judg- 
ment was  unplaced  to  Larkin,  one  of  the  horses  that 
defeated  him  at  Pimlico.  The  next  stop  was  at  Cin- 
cinnati, where  Driver  won  the  2  '.24.  class  over  Post 
Boy,  Deck  Wright,  Dick  Taylor  and  Dictator,  while 
Alley  was  third  to  Lucille,  Huntress  fourth  to  Hannis, 
and  Edgar  unplaced  to  Will  Cody.  At  Columbus  the 
following  week  Powers  made  his  only  start  in  1879. 
He  took  the  word  with  Belle  Brasfield,  Lucille,  Elsie 
Good  and  Deck  Wright.  Seven  heats  were  trotted 
before  the  winner  was  found.  Powers  won  the  first 
in  2  123,  Belle  Brasfield  the  second  in  2  -.22,  Elsie  Good 
the  third  in  2:22^,  Powers  the  fourth  in  2:24^,  and 
Lucille  the  fifth  in  2  '.26.  The  next  two  heats  and  race 
went  to  Belle  Brasfield  in  2:22,  2:23^,  Elsie  Good 
being  distanced  in  the  sixth.  At  this  meeting  Alley 
was  second  to  Lewinski,  Judgment  fourth  to  Ed 
Geers,  with  McCurdy's  Hambletonian  and  Edgar 
fourth  to  Red  Line. 

On  the  trip  from  Chicago  to  Boston,  Driver  and 
Alley  were  the  stable's  only  starters.  Driver  was 
third  to  Bonesetter  at  Chicago  and  Rochester ;  fourth 
to  Darby  at  Buffalo  and  won  the  2 :2O  class  events  at 


JAMES  GOLDSMITH  EXPELLED.          173 

Cleveland,  where  he  lost  a  heat  to  Voltaire,  at  Hart- 
ford, where  he  lost  a  heat  and  trotted  a  dead  heat  with 
Bonesetter,  and  at  Beacon  Park,  Boston,  where  he 
went  to  the  front  after  Bonesetter  had  had  two  heats 
placed  to  his  credit.  On  the  last  day  of  the  Beacon 
Park  meeting  Driver  also  started  against  Hannis  and 
Dick  Swiveller  in  what  proved  one  of  the  most 
peculiar  races  on  record.  At  the  finish  of  the  sixth 
heat,  when  it  went  over  on  account  of  darkness,  the 
three  horses  stood  equal  in  the  summary,  and  as  the 
track  was  in  poor  condition  when  they  were  called 
on  the  following  day  for  the  deciding  mile,  the  money 
was  divided.  The  following  is  the  summary,  which 
is  a  curiosity: 

Boston,  Mass.,  Beacon  Park,  Sept.  6,  1879.     Purse  $3,000 — 
2:18  class  trotting. 

A.  Goldsmith's  b.  g.  Driver,  by  Volunteer     223311 

J.  E.  Turner's  ch.  s.  Hannis,  by  Mambrino 

Pilot 3     3     i     i     2    2 

J.  Golden's  b.  g.  Dick  Swiveller,  by  Wai- 
kill  Chief i     i     2     2    3     3 

Time — 2:20^,  2:20^,  2:20,  2:22,  2:23^,  2:23^. 


JAMES  GOLDSMITH  EXPELLED. 


We  gentlemen  whose  chariots  roll  only  upon  the  four  aces 
are  apt  to  have  a  wheel  out  of  order. — Gibber. 

After  winning  the  2  124  class  at  Chicago  and  mak- 
ing his  record  of  2:19,  Alley  was  unplaced  to  Lida 
Bassett  at  Cleveland  and  Rochester.  He  won  again 
at  Hartford  from  Emma  B.,  Steve  Maxwell,  Star  and 


174  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

Gray  Chief,  and  was  losing  at  Boston  when  the  judges 
took  the  matter  in  hand.  The  starters  in  the  Boston 
race  were  Captain  Emmons,  Sheridan,  Mary  Russell, 
Alley  and  Jersey  Boy.  Murphy  won  the  first  heat 
with  Sheridan,  Weeks  the  second  with  Captain  Em- 
mons and  Alley  the  third,  after  which  the  race  went 
over  on  account  of  darkness,  and  was  then  continued 
another  day  by  unfavorable  weather.  When  the 
horses  finally  appeared  Alley  won  the  fourth  heat  and 
Captain  Emmons  the  fifth.  When  the  three  heat 
winners  were  given  the  word  for  the  sixth  heat 
Weeks  moved  off  in  front  and  led  to  the  finish.  Alley 
was  very  unsteady,  but  remained  in  second  place  until 
near  the  head  of  the  stretch,  where  Sheridan  passed 
him.  The  judges  promptly  marked  the  performance 
"no  heat"  and  followed  it  by  making  one  of  the  most 
unique  changes  on  record,  when  they  asked  John 
Murphy,  the  driver  of  a  competing  horse,  to  get  up 
behind  Alley  and  turn  Sheridan  over  to  Golden.  After 
the  change  Alley  went  on  and  won  in  a  jog  in  2:24, 
which  was  within  a  second  of  the  fastest  heat  in  the 
race.  In  due  time  the  judges,  notwithstanding  the 
earnest  pleading  of  Alden  Goldsmith,  bidding  them  to 
"take  my  son,  but  spare  my  horse,"  expelled  James  H. 
Goldsmith  and  the  bay  gelding,  Alley.  Later  on,  at 
the  request  of  the  officials  who  presided  at  the  meet- 
ing, Alley  was  reinstated  by  the  Board  of  Appeals  of 
The  National  Trotting  Association,  which  also  rein- 
stated the  driver,  when  a  similar  recommendation 
had  been  filed  after  he  had  been  off  the  turf  during  the 
season  of  1880.  The  following  table  shows  the  races 
that  James  H.  Goldsmith  drove  in  1879: 


JOHN   A.    GOLDSMITH    IN   THE   SULKY. 


175 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts.  1 

£ 

E 

Second.  1 

i 

S 

h 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Driver  

2£0# 

Volunteer  

14 

7 

3 

1 

3 

$7,075  00 

Allev                     .   .. 

2:19 

Volunteer  

9 

5 

1 

1 

2 

4,400  00 

Edgar  
Huntress  .             ... 

2:30 

Col.  Winfield  
Volunteer  

10 
3 

1 

3 
1 

l 
1 

3 
1 

2 

63000 
325  00 

Judgment 

Black  Milo 

9 

2 

2 

2 

3 

315  00 

Powers        

Volunteer  

1 

1 

150  CO 

Change  (p) 

1 

1 

45  00 

Happv  Medium 

1 

1 

20  00 

Neilson 

1 

1 

Aleck 

2:42 

Hambletonian 

1 

1 

Total 

50 

13 

11 

10 

9 

$12,960  00 

JOHN  A.  GOLDSMITH  IN  THE  SULKY. 


Then  John  Alden,  spake  and  related  the  wondrous  adventure. 

— Longfellow. 

While  James  and  his  father  were  off  in  the  big 
circuit  with  Driver  and  Alley,  John  Alden  took  up 
Oscar  and  Clara  Morris  and  started  them  at  Corn- 
wall, where  the  former  trotted  second  to  Vivandiere, 
and  the  latter  was  also  second  to  the  Thorndale  mare, 
Nelly  Ely.  He  was  not  so  fortunate  in  his  next 
starts,  at  Middletown,  as  Clara  Morris  was  twice  un- 
placed to  the  George  Wilkes  mare,  Prospect  Maid, 
driven  by  Charles  Green,  and  the  chestnut  gelding, 
Sam,  by  Perkins'  Morrill,  put  Mountaineer  behind  the 
money.  John  started  Edgar  at  Amenia  and  finished 


176  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

fourth  to  Major  Lord  the  week  that  his  brother  and 
Alley  were  expelled  at  Boston,  and  as  Driver  was 
entered  at  Chicago,  he  was  sent  on  to  drive  him.  The 
skill  shown  by  this  young  man  in  the  sulky  was  a 
revelation  toe  those  who  saw  Driver  win  his  race  in 
straight  heats  over  Charley  Ford,  Scott's  Thomas, 
Mazo-Manie,  Post  Boy,  Rose  of  Washington,  Belle 
Brasfield,  Kate  Middleton  and  John  H.  He  also 
trotted  second  to  Darby  the  same  week  in  the  free- 
for-all  and  added  two  firsts  to  the  old  horse's  score 
the  following  week  at  Kansas  City.  The  next  start 
was  at  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  third  to  Bonesetter, 
and  also  where  John  A.  Goldsmith,  for  the  first  and 
only  time  in  his  career,  had  a  mount  behind  a  shady 
horse.  At  the  Chicago  meeting  a  man  who  repre- 
sented himself  as  J.  Brackett  started  a  roan  gelding 
called  Windsor  in  the  2:40  class  and  finished  third  to 
William  H.  and  Black  Cloud.  The  horse  also  ap- 
peared at  Kansas  City,  where  he  was  third  to  Hamble- 
tonian  Downing.  When  the  party  reached  St.  Louis, 
Windsor  appeared  in  the  2:50  class.  »John  Goldsmith 
was  asked  to  drive  him.  He  took  the  mount  and  won 
over  Don  Quixote,  France's  Alexander,  Robert  Mc- 
Gregor, Josephus,  Duck,  Fred  Douglass,,  Forrest 
Golddust,  Baby  and  W.  H.  Holly  in  2:24^,  2:25, 
2:271/2.  Later  on,  much  to  John  Goldsmith's  disgust, 
it  was  shown  that  the  true  name  of  the  horse  was 
Despatch,  that  had  won  earlier  in  the  season  at  Bos- 
ton and  Providence  and  made  a  record  of  2:28.  The 
horse  and  the  man  who  had  him  were  detected  and 
expelled  by  The  National  Trotting  Association. 
After  leaving  St.  Louis,  Charley  Ford  defeated  Driver 
in  two  races  at  Lexington.  He  also  outfooted  him  in 


l88o — UNOLAI,A, 


177 


a  race  at  Washington,  D.  C,  the  first  week  in  Novem- 
ber, where  the  Volunteer  gelding  also  trotted  third  in 
a  race  won  by  Hopeful.  Edgar  joined  the  stable  at 
Washington,  where  he  trotted  second  to  Lyman  and 
made  a  record  of  2  130.  The  following  table  presents 
a  summary  of  the  races  driven  by  John  Alden  Gold- 
smith in  1879: 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

i 

& 

Second. 

•d 
1 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Driver  .           

2:20^ 

Volunteer      .  . 

11 

8 

2 

6 

$3,130  00 

Windsor  

2:24# 

Lewiston  Boy  

1 

1 

500  00 

Clara  Morris  

3 

1 

ft 

25  00 

Edgar 

Col    Winfield 

1 

1 

20  00 

Mountaineer 

1 

1 

Total  

17 

4 

3 

6 

1 

3 

$3,675  00 

1880— UNOLALA. 


One  crowded  hour  of  glorious  life, 

Is  worth  an  age  without  a  name. — Scott. 

Driver,  Unolala,  sister  to  St.  Julien  and  St.  Remo, 
Alice  Medium,  Una  and  the  pacer,  Change,  were  the 
only  horses  in  John  A.  Goldsmith's  stable  when  he 
shipped  to  Philadelphia  in  May.  Starting  in  at  Suf- 
folk Park  he  defeated  Billy  Scott  and  Clinker  with 
Change,  trotted  second  to  Hannis  with  Driver,  was 
third  to  Bay  Chieftain  and  fourth  to  Phil  Dwyer  with 


178  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

Unolala  and  unplaced  with  Alice  Medium  to  Bay 
Chieftain  in  his  second  race  that  week.  At  the  Point 
Breeze  and  Belmont  Park  May  meetings  Driver  won 
the  2  :2O  classes  after  close  contests  with  Hannis  and 
Ettie  Jones;  Unolala  also  won  two  races  at  Point 
Breeze,  making  a  record  of  2 127^  in  one  of  them, 
while  at  Belmont  Park,  after  being  unplaced  to  her 
brother,  St.  Remo,  on  the  first  day  of  the  meeting,  she 
took  the  word  in  the  2  138  class  and  won  after  drop- 
ping a  heat  to  Birdie  C.  Change  was  awarded  two 
seconds,  while  Alice  Medium,  after  being  unplaced  to 
Deceit  at  Point  Breeze,  was  dropped  from  the  stable 
at  the  close  of  the  Washington  meeting,  where  she 
finished  second  to  Brown  Tom.  Driver  and  Unolala 
were  numbered  among  the  winners  at  Washington, 
from  which  point  the  stable  shipped  to  Detroit,  where 
Driver  defeated  Voltaire  and  Lucy;  Unolala  won  the 
2 126  class  over  Hambletonian  Bashaw ;  Change  was 
awarded  second  in  the  races  won  by  Sleepy  Tom  and 
Bay  Billy,  and  Una  was  third  to  Lady  Brownell. 

On  the  trip  through  the  Michigan  Circuit,  Driver 
won  at  Ionia  and  Grand  Rapids ;  Unolala  won  at  Pon- 
tiac  and  was  third  to  Black  Cloud  at  Ionia. 
Change  was  distanced  at  Pontiac  through  a  mishap 
to  his  sulky  and  third  to  Sorrel  Dan  at  Grand  Rapids, 
where  Una  trotted  fourth  to  Russ  Ellis.  After  win- 
ning a  free-for-all,  Fourth  of  July  week  at  Blooming- 
ton,  111.,  with  Driver,  the  stable  shipped  to  Cleveland, 
where  it  remained  until  the  bell  rang  for  the  Grand 
Circuit  meeting,  at  which  Driver  was  second  to  Maud 
S. ;  Change  distanced  by  Bay  Billy,  after  winning  two 
heats  in  2:21^,  2:19^,  and  Unolala  won  the  race  at 
two-mile  heats  for  the  2 125  class  in  5 :02,  4 158.  At 


i88o — UNOLALA.  179 

Buffalo,  the  following  week,  she  won  again  in  4:50, 
4:55,  but  was  beaten  at  Rochester,  Utica  and  Hart- 
ford by  Steve  Maxwell.  On  the  trip  down  the  line, 
Driver,  after  being  fourth  to  Maud  S.  at  Buffalo, 
trimmed  Charley  Ford,  Hannis  and  Ettie  Jones  at 
Rochester  in  one  of  the  best  races  of  the  season, 
Charley  Ford  winning  the  first  two  heats  in  2:21, 
2:19^4,  Driver  the  third  in  2:20,  Hannis  the  next  two 
in  2:18^4,  2:20^4,  and  Driver  the  balance  in  2:20,  2:21  ; 
was  third  to  Hannis  and  Charley  Ford  at  Utica  and 
Hartford  ;  second  to  Wedgewood  and  fourth  to  Darby 
at  Mystic  Park,  and  won  the  2 120  class  at  Beacon 
Park  after  a  six-heat  contest  with  Wedgewood,  Sheri- 
dan and  Lady  Maud.  Change's  slip  shows  that  he 
was  defeated  by  Bay  Billy  at  Buffalo  and  Rochester, 
and  second  to  Ben  Hamilton  at  Springfield  and  Hart- 
ford the  week  that  St.  Julien  placed  the  world's  record 
at  2:1154. 

After  the  Boston  meetings  the  Goldsmith  stable 
shipped  to  Albany,  where  Driver  was  second  to 
Trinket  and  Charley  Ford ;  Unolala  unplaced  to  the 
Daniel  Lambert  mare,  Nancy;  and  Una  behind  the 
money  in  the  race  won  by  Hambrino  Belle.  On  Sep- 
tember 25,  Driver  was  again  at  Beacon  Park,  where 
he  met  and  defeated  Daisydale,  Wedgewood  and 
Sheridan,  after  the  Thorndale  mare  had  won  two 
heats.  The  following  week  he  disposed  of  Wedge- 
wood  and  Daisydale  in  straight  heats  at  Dover,  Del., 
after  which  he  was  shipped  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
trotted  third  to  Trinket  over  Belmont  Park.  His  last 
start  in  1880  was  at  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
on  October  15,  against  Patchen  and  Wedgewood. 
The  race  was  won  by  the  latter,  Driver  making  his 


180 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


record  of  2:19^  in  the  third  heat,  which  was  declared 
dead  between  him  and  the  winner.  The  following 
table  presents  a  summary  of  the  season's  work: 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

£ 

Second. 

!§ 

IE 
EH 

Fourth. 

n 

t> 

Amount 
Won. 

Driver 

2-19^ 

Volunteer 

94 

n 

6 

5 

9 

$8  470  00 

Unolala  

2:27  >< 

Volunteer  

17 

8 

3 

?, 

1 

3 

3,635  00 

Change  (p)  

2:19^ 

13 

2 

H 

1 

1 

3 

1,450  00 

Una 

2-29%: 

Altnont 

6 

1 

2 

1 

9 

680  00 

Mice  Medium  

Happy  Medium  

3 

1 

2 

100  (JO 

Total  

63 

21 

17 

10 

5 

10 

$14,335  00 

1 88 1— TWO-MILE  HEATS. 


The  stamp  of  a  race  horse  has  always  been  found, 
In  one  that  can  march  o'er  a  distance  of  ground. 

James  H.  Goldsmith  made  his  first  appearance,  af- 
ter being  reinstated,  at  the  Washington  May  meeting, 
where  he  started  Driver,  Unolala,  Alice  Medium, 
Fenner,  Una,  Change  and  Powers.  Unolala  and 
Alice  Medium  were  returned  as  winners  that  week, 
While  Una,  Powers  and  Change  were  unplaced,  the 
latter  being  distanced  by  Little  Brown  Jug,  Fenner 
trotting  third  to  Kentuckian  and  Driver  second  to 
Trinket.  This  mare  defeated  Driver  in  seven  races 
during  the  season.  After  trotting  second  to  her  at 
Washington  he  was  fourth  in  the  races  she  won 


l88l — TWO-MILK   HEATS.  181 

at  Point  Breeze  and  Belmont  Park,  and  third 
at  Suffolk  Park.  On  the  trip  through  the  Grand 
Circuit  he  was  fourth  to  her  at  Cleveland,  Roch- 
ester and  Utica.  The  returns  for  the  season  also 
show  that  Driver  lost  five  races  to  Midnight  and  five 
to  William  H.,  the  former  defeating  him  at  Columbus, 
Youngstown  and  Pittsburg,  Elmira  and  Toledo,  and 
the  latter  at  Bradford,  Cincinnati,  Cleveland  and  Buf- 
falo. In  addition  to  the  above,  Driver  trotted  second 
to  the  Canadian  trotter,  Moose,  at  Bradford,  and  sec- 
ond to  Wedgewood  at  Chicago,  his  only  victory  of  the 
year  being  gained  at  Elmira  in  September,  when  he 
disposed  of  Argonaut,  Tom  Keeler  and  Humboldt  in 
a  five  heat  race. 

Unolala  scored  four  firsts  out  of  thirteen  starts, 
her  successes  being  recorded  at  Cincinnati,  Washing- 
ton and  Buffalo,  where  she  defeated  Hamlin's 
Almont,  Jr.,  in  the  race  in  which  he  made  his  record 
of  2 126.  On  the  trip  down  the  line  Unolala  was  third 
to  Kate  McCall  at  Pittsburg,  second  to  Dan  Donald- 
son at  Chicago,  fourth  in  the  race  Dustin  won  at 
Cleveland  with  Troubadour,  fourth  to  John  S.  Clark 
at  Rochester,  second  to  Josephus  at  Utica,  third  to 
Argonaut  at  Elmira  and  third  to  William  H.  in  one 
race  at  Bradford  and  two  at  Pittsburg.  Change  was 
dropped  from  the  stable  after  the  close  of  the  Phila- 
delphia meetings,  while  Powers  did  not  pay  expenses, 
a  second  to  Argonaut  at  Elmira  in  June  and  third  to 
Robert  McGregor  at  Toledo  the  following  week, 
being  the  only  occasions  on  which  he  won  anything 
over  his  entrance,  which  he  managed  to  save  at  Co- 
lumbus and  Pittsburg,  where  he  was  fourth  to  Lucy 
and  Silverton  respectively.  Una  made  her  first  start 


182 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


after  Washington  in  a  two-mile  heat  race  at  Cleve- 
land, where  she  was  distanced  by  Post  Boy.  At 
Rochester  she  was  second  to  Amber  and  won  a  heat 
in  4:54^4.  She  also  saved  her  entrance  in  the  race 
Post  Boy  won  at  Utica  the  following  week.  Of  the 
other  members  of  the  stable,  Fritz  made  a  record  of 
2.  '.2.^/2  at  Philadelphia  in  May  and  was  unplaced  to 
Dan  Donaldson  at  Elmira,  Executor  at  Columbus  and 
Kinsman  Boy  at  Youngstown,  while  Alice  Medium, 
after  finishing  third  to  Marion  M.  at  Toledo,  second 
to  Executor  at  Cincinnati  and  third  to  King  Almont 
at  Elmira,  won  a  special  at  two-mile  heats  at  Pittsburg 
in  5:06,  5:13.  In  addition  to  the  above,  James  H. 
Goldsmith  drove  Chester  F.  in  the  two-mile  heat  races 
in  which  he  started  at  the  Grand  Circuit  meetings. 
He  won  with  him  at  Rochester  and  Hartford,  was  sec- 
ond to  Stranger  at  Utica,  third  to  Hattie  Fisher  at 
Buffalo  and  fourth  to  Stranger  at  Cleveland.  He  also 
won  a  race  with  him  at  Bradford.  The  following  is 
the  stable's  summary  for  the  season : 


T3 

"H 

•Si 

ID 

•g 

I 

Starters. 

§ 

Sire. 

\ 

£ 

8 

2 

o 

c 

Amount 
Won. 

W 

£ 

03 

H 

Jn 

P 

Driver  

Volunteer  

22 

i 

11 

4 

6 

$4,  .565  00 

Unolala  

2:25^ 

Volunteer  

13 

4 

3 

4 

2 

3,840  00 

Chester  F  

2:30 

Mercury  

6 

3 

] 

1 

1 

1,00000 

Alice  Medium  

2:29* 

Happy  Medium  

9 

2 

1 

2 

2 

2 

935  00 

Volunteer  

5 

1 

1 

2 

1 

50500 

Una 

2-27* 

Almont 

5 

1 

1 

3 

350  00 

Fritz    

2:27% 

Bay  Richmond  

1 

2 

4 

23500 

4 

1 

8 

25  00 

Total  

71 

10 

19 

14 

15 

13 

$11,455  00 

VOLUNTEER   ABOVE    PRICE.  183 

VOLUNTEER  ABOVE  PRICE. 


Would  he  oblige  me?     Let  me  only  find 

He  does  not  think  me  what  he  thinks  mankind. 

— Pope. 

Volunteer  reached  the  zenith  of  his  fame  in  1879 
and  '80,  when  St.  Julien,  after  reducing  the  world's 
record  to  2:12^4  at  Oakland,  Cal.,  in  the  presence  of 
General  Grant,  who  was  then  returning  from  his  trip 
around  the  world,  was  brought  east  and  made  another 
cut  in  the  mark  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on  August  12, 
when  he  and  Maud  S.  each  trotted  in  2:11^4,  and 
finally  made  his  record  of  2:11*4  on  August  27  over 
Charter  Oak  Park,  Hartford,  Conn.  On  the  date  of 
this  performance  Volunteer  was  the  sire  of  the  cham- 
pion trotters  at  one  and  three  miles,  as  well  as  Uno- 
lala,  a  sister  of  St.  Julien,  that  had  raced  consistently 
at  two-mile  heats,  together  with  Gloster,  Driver, 
Alley  and  Powers,  race  horses  which  had  no  superiors, 
as  they  had  trained  on  from  year  to  year ;  racing  up  to 
their  records  or  a  shade  under  them  each  season,  and 
on  each  campaign  were  asked  to  meet  fresh  fields 
from  every  section  of  the  country. 

William  M.  Rysdyk  lived  long  enough  to  be  con- 
vinced that  Volunteer's  success  as  a  sire  of  race 
horses  was  assured,  and  when  Hambletonian  died, 
on  March  27,  1876,  Lady  Patriot's  first  foal  was  con- 
sidered his  best  son.  George  Wilkes  was  at  that  time 
entering  upon  his  remarkable  career  as  a  stock  horse 
in  Kentucky,  and  Electioneer  was  still  in  a  paddock 
at  Stony  Ford. 

Abdallah,  the  sire  of  Hambletonian,  was  for  a 
brief  period  in  service  in  Kentucky,  and  Alexander's 


184  THE    GOLDSMITHS 

Abdallah,  the  sire  of  Goldsmith  Maid,  was  taken  there 
in  1859.  He  sired  Almont  and  Belmont  and  died  in 
1865.  The  success  of  his  descendants  prompted 
others  to  visit  Orange  County,  the  fountain  head  of 
the  Hambletonian  family  of  trotters,  J.  B.  McFerran 
being  one  of  the  first.  He  visited  Stony  Ford,  where  he 
purchased  August  Belmont  and  Cuyler.  He  also  pur- 
chased a  number  of  mares  by  Hambletonian  and  his 
sons,  and  to  their  produce,  as  well  as  the  get  of  Cuyler 
and  his  descendants,  the  success  of  Glenview  Farm 
can  be  traced.  R.  S.  Veech,  the  founder  of  the  Indian 
Hill  Stud,  was  a  neighbor  of  McFerran's.  He  also 
visited  Orange  County  and  purchased  a  number  of 
mares  bred  in  the  same  lines  to  cross  with  Princeps. 
The  records  show  that  the  venture  was  successful. 

The  Kentucky  breeders  did  not  take  very  kindly 
to  George  Wilkes  when  he  appeared  among  them  in 
1875,  but  the  cloud  of  neglect  soon  faded  when  his  get 
were  tried  on  the  tur'f.  From  1876  to  1882  he  had 
eleven  performers  in  2 126  or  better,  and  in  his  an- 
nouncement for  the  latter  year,  Z.  E.  Simmons  said : 
"Hambletonian  never  got  a  better  one  than  So  So, 
2:17^4.  In  1881  St.  Julien  was  the  only  horse  who 
trotted  faster  than  she  did  in  a  contested  race,  2:17*4." 
Volunteer  was  the  sire  of  St.  Julien.  He  was  then 
eighteen  years  old,  and  his  .service  fee  $500. 
Prompted  by  a  desire  to  own  the  greatest  living  sire 
of  trotters,  R.  S.  Veech,  while  in  New  York,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1882,  wired  Alden  Goldsmith  asking  if  it  would 
be  worth  his  while  to  visit  Walnut  Grove  Farm  with 
a  view  of  purchasing  Volunteer.  He  received  the  fol- 
lowing reply: 


VOLUNTEER   ABOVE   PRICE.  185 

Washingtonville,  Orange  Co..  N.  Y., 
February  13,  1882. 

R.  S.  Veech,  Esq : 

Your  telegram  was  duly  received,  but  being  ab- 
sent from  my  home,  it  was  not  placed  in  my  hands 
until  too  late  to  reply  last  evening. 

While  there  is  no  person  that  would  be  more  wel- 
come at  the  farm  than  yourself,  if  the  only  object  of 
your  visit  would  be  the  purchase  of  Volunteer,  then 
your  trip  would  not  be  a  profitable  or  successful  one, 
as  no  breeder  in  Kentucky  has  money  enough  to  buy 
him. 

Volunteer  is  a  permanent  fixture  at  the  Walnut 
Grove  Farm ;  and  if  he  lays  down  in  the  sleep  of  death 
before  his  owner,  he  will  have  an  honorable  burial  on 
the  farm,  and  a  suitable  monument  erected  over  him 
to  mark  his  resting  place  and  commemorate  his  great- 
ness, or  his  body  will  be  presented  to  some  national 
institution  for  scientific  purposes. 

I  have  as  high  a  regard  for  money  as  the  most  of 
men  for  the  uses  which  it  may  subserve,  but  there  are 
certain  things  which  money  cannot  buy,  as  the 
Teacher  of  old  taught  Simon  the  Samaritan.  I  can 
recall  but  one  incident  in  all  history  so  to  the  point  as 
that  related  of  our  great  jurist,  statesman  and  orator, 
Daniel  Webster,  who,  when  upon  his  deathbed  and 
only  a  few  hours  before  his  demise,  directed  his  at- 
tendants to  have  his  herd  of  Short  Horns  driven  up 
before  his  window,  where,  when  bolstered  up  on.  his 
couch,  he  might  be  permitted  once  more  to  look  into 
the  broad,  honest  faces  of  those  animals,  that  never 
done  him  a  wrong  or  deceived  him.  Was  there  ever 


186  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

so  eloquent  and  well  merited  a  tribute  paid  to  the 
animal  kingdom  and  so  cutting  a  satire  upon  man? 

The  shadows  and  shams  of  life  had  then  all  de- 
parted, and  the  great  man,  just  about  to  take  his  leave 
of  this  world,  desired  to  hold  communion  with  those 
honest  faces  dnce  more  and  then  depart. 

My  wife  joins  with  me  in  a  cordial  invitation  for 
you  to  spend  a  day  with  us  at  the  farm  before  you  re- 
turn. With  high  regard,  I  am  yours,  etc., 

ALDEN  GOLDSMITH. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Alden  Goldsmith  did  not 
look  with  favor  on  the  advances  made  by  R.  S.  Veech, 
as  Volunteer  never  sired  a  horse  of  note  after  the  date 
of  this  correspondence,  while  the  success  of  George 
Wilkes,  Dictator,  Happy  Medium,  Harold,  Strath- 
more,  Aberdeen,  Victor  Bismarck  and  Egbert  would 
have  come  in  all  probability  to  Volunteer  in  the  "blue 
grass."  The  allusion  to  Webster  in  Alden  Gold- 
smith's letter  also  recalls  an  incident  in  the  last  hours 
of  J.  B.  McFerran,  who,  on  the  day  he  died,  ordered 
Nutwood  led  on  the  lawn,  so  that  he  could  once  more 
feast  his  eyes  upon  him  before  passing  into  the 
shadow.  Not  even  in  Cobham  did  Pope  find  an  apter 
illustration  of  the  "ruling  passion  strong  in  death," 
and  to  which  he  again  refers  in  his  Moral  Essays  in  the 
familiar  lines : 

Manners  with  fortunes,  humors  turn  with  climes, 
Tenets  with  books,  and  principles  with  times 
Search  then  the  ruling  passion:  there  alone 
The  wild  are  constant,  and  the  cunning  known. 
***** 

The  ruling  passion,  be  it  what  it  will, 
The  ruling  passion  conquers  reason  still. 


1 882— FLORA   BELLE.  187 

1882— FLORA  BELLE. 

She  was  a  pacer,   high-headed  and   gay, 
Winning  whenever  they  sent  her  away 
On  her  stride,  and  wild  for  a  whirl 
With  Lucy,  Bay  Billy,  or  Buffalo  Girl. 

James  H.  Goldsmith  began  racing  in  1882,  at 
Maysville,  Ky.,  with  Driver,  Alley,  who  had  been  on 
the  retired  list  for  two  seasons,  Unolala,  Una,  Belle 
of  Kings,  Walnut  and  the  Chester  Chief  horse,  Bar- 
rett. On  the  opening  day  Driver  was  fourth  to  Geers 
with  Annie  W.,  Walnut  finishing  second  to  Florence 
M.  and  Alley  fourth  to  J.  B.  Thomas.  The  returns 
for  the  next  day  show  that  Unolala  won  the  2 :25  class 
over  Leontine,  Big  John  and  Middlesex,  that  Una  was 
third  to  Rosa  Wilkes  and  Belle  of  Kings  unplaced  to 
Red  Cross.  After  being  distanced  by  the  same  horse 
at  Columbus  the  following  week,  Belle  of  Kings  was 
dropped  and  Una  disappeared,  after  being  unplaced 
to  Phyllis  at  Bradford  in  June.  Driver,  in  his  fif- 
teenth year,  kept  pegging  away  all  season,  the  returns 
for  1882  showing  that  he  won  his  engagements  at 
Bradford,  Erie,  Albany,  Mount  Holly  and  Mystic 
Park,  Boston,  the  latter  being  a  seven-heat  contest,  in 
which  J.  P.  Morris,  Kentucky  Wilkes,  Forest 
Patchen,  Clemmie  G.  and  Humboldt  started;  that  he 
was  second  to  Annie  W.  at  Detroit,  where  he  won 
two  heats  in  2:24,  2:21^,  and  third  to  her  at  Colum- 
bus, third  to  Clingstone  at  Chicago  the  week  before 
"the  demon  trotter"  and  Edwin  Thorne  met  in  their 
memorable  race  at  Cleveland,  second  to  Early  Rose  at 
Pittsburg,  third  to  Von  Arnim  at  Rochester,  second 
to  Fancy  Witherspoon  at  Poughkeepsie,  fourth  to 


188  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

Minnie  R.  at  Hartford,  fourth  to  J.  P.  Morris  at 
Springfield,  third  to  Dan  Smith  at  Albany  in  Septem- 
ber and  second  to  Frank  at  Hudson  the  following 
month,  while  he  was  unplaced  to  Rosa  Wilkes  at 
Cleveland,  to^  Adele  Gould  at  Buffalo  and  to  J.  P. 
Morris  at  Utica. 

During  the  season  Unolala  won  seven  out  of  six- 
teen starts,  her  successes  being  scored  at  Maysville, 
Toledo,  Olean,  Rochester,  Poughkeepsie  and  Utica, 
where  she  made  her  record,  2:22:4,  and  defeated  R.  P. 
Lucrece,  Mattie,  Cora  Belmont,  George  M.  and  Glos- 
ter.  In  her  other  starts  she  was  second  to  Buzz 
Medium  at  Pittsburg,  third  to  Rosa  Wilkes  at  Co- 
lumbus, third  to  Leontine  at  Erie,  third  to  Early  Rose 
at  Albany,  the  week  that  Young  Fullerton  defeated 
Walnut  in  the  Clay  Stakes,  third  to  Minnie  R.  and 
fourth  to  Black  Cloud  at  Chicago,  third  to  Jerome 
Eddy  at  Cleveland,  fourth  to  Lucrece  at  Buffalo  and 
unplaced  to  Aldine  at  Hartford. 

Barrett  made  his  first  start  at  Columbus,  where  he 
was  unplaced  to  Commander,  Maud  T.  distanced  him 
at  Toledo  and  a  third  premium  was  awarded  him  in 
the  race  Geers  won  at  Detroit  with  Dr.  Norman.  The 
next  start  was  at  Bradford,  where  he  won  the  three- 
minute  class  and  made  a  record  of  2  140.  A  star  shot 
across  his  path  the  following  week  at  Olean,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  unplaced  to  "the  plough  horse,"  Captain 
Lewis,  who  later  in  the  season  defeated  him  at  Buf- 
falo, Utica  and  Hartford.  Barrett  picked  up  a  first 
and  a  second  at  Erie  and  was  fourth  to  Douglass  at 
Albany.  In  his  other  engagements  he  was  fourth  to 
Adele  Gould  at  Pittsburg,  third  to  Barbara  Patchen 
at  Rochester,  third  to  Louise  N.  at  Springfield,  where 


1 882 — FLORA  BELLE,  189 

he  made  a  record  of  2  125,  and  second  to  the  same  mare 
at  Mystic  Park,  Boston.  His  last  starts  were  made 
at  Fleetwood  Park,  New  York,  where  he  won  a  race 
in  slow  time  over  Lotta  and  Jupiter  Norwood,  and 
had  two  walkovers  in  stakes  at  the  meeting  of  the 
National  Association  of  Trotting  Horse  Breeders. 
His  stable  companion,  Walnut,  also  had  two  walk- 
overs that  week,  but  before  reaching  Fleetwood  the 
Florida  horse  had  what  might  be  termed  an  expensive 
campaign,  as  after  trotting  second  to  Florence  M.  at 
Maysville,  he  was  distanced  by  Highland  Stranger  at 
Columbus,  second  to  Florence  M.  at  Toledo,  third  to 
Maud  T.  at  Detroit,  after  winning  two  heats,  second 
to  Young  Fullerton  in  the  Clay  Stakes  at  Albany,  as 
has  been  stated,  distanced  by  Clara  Cleveland  at  Chi- 
cago, where  he  won  two  heats  in  2:23^,  2:24*4, 
second  to  Cornelia  at  Buffalo,  after  winning  two  heats 
and  a  dead  heat  in  2:22^,  2:23,  2:24^,  and  unplaced 
to  Captain  Lewis  at  Albany.  Alley  won  three  of  the 
six  races  in  which  he  started,  his  -last  appearance  as  a 
member  of  the  Walnut  Grove  Farm  stables  being  at 
Island  Park,  Albany,  September  29,  when  he  defeated 
Humboldt  in  2 130,  2 129,  2 130.  He  also  won  at  Co- 
lumbus and  Clean,  was  second  to  Edwin  Thorne  at 
Toledo  and  third  to  Clingstone  at  Detroit. 

The  black  mare,  Flora  Belle,  was  a  member  of 
James  H.  Goldsmith's  stable  on  the  trip  from  Buffalo 
to  Hartford.  He  won  the  free-for-all  pace  with  her 
at  Buffalo,  Utica  and  Poughkeepsie,  defeating  Lucy, 
Gem,  Buffalo  Girl  and  Mattie  Hunter.  At  Rochester 
he  was  second  to  Lucy  in  the  last  race  placed  to  her 
credit,  while  at  Hartford  he  could  only  save  his  en- 
trance in  the  race  won  by  Buffalo  Girl,  with  Gem 


190 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


second  and  Lucy  third.  The  summary  of  this  sea- 
son's work  shows  twenty-five  firsts  and  sixteen 
seconds  out  of  eighty-five  starts. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

t/i 

oj 

Cfl 

£ 

T3 

- 

i 

H 

Fourth. 

1 

j5 
"5, 
c 
p 

Amount 
Won. 

Unolala 

2-22^ 

Volunteer 

if. 

_ 

1 

5 

a 

1 

$7  320  00 

Driver 

Volunteer  .          ... 

?,] 

5 

5 

5 

2 

4 

4,495  00 

Walnut       

2:22  1/ 

Florida  

11 

•  ?, 

5 

1 

3 

3,290  00 

Barrett 

2-25 

Chester  Chief 

18 

5 

3 

3 

3 

4 

2,788  33 

Flora  Belle  (p)  
Alley 

2:15^ 

White  Cloud  
Volunteer 

5 

6 

3 

s 

1 
1 

1 

i 
i 

2,775  00 
1,480  00 

Una 

Almont      

3 

1 

2 

120  00 

Belle  of  Kings 

Jupiter  Abdallah 

2 

2 

Total  

82 

25 

16 

16 

9 

16 

$22,268  33 

1883. 

What  though  success  will  not  attend  on  all, 
Who  bravely  dares  must  sometimes  risk  a  fall. 

—Smollet. 

Driver,  Walnut  and  Fenner  were  the  only  horses 
in  James  H.  Goldsmith's  stable  when  he  arrived  at 
Mystic  Park,  Boston,  the  first  week  in  June,  1883.  He 
started  Driver  and  Fenner  at  that  meeting,  finishing 
fourth  to  Kentucky  Wilkes,  with  the  former  and  sec- 
ond to  the  Aristos  gelding,  H.  B.  Winship,  with  the 
latter.  After  stopping  at  Providence,  where  Driver 
was  fourth  to  Josephus,  Fenner  third  to  H.B.  Winship 


. 


JAMES    H.    GOLDSMITH. 


1883.  193 

and  Walnut  third  to  Kentucky  Wilkes,  the  stable 
moved  on  to  Charter  Oak  Park,  Hartford,  where  the 
brothers  met  in  two  races,  John  defeating  Walnut 
with  Director,  after  the  Florida  horse  had  won  a  heat 
in  2:21^,  while  both  Romero  and  Driver,  the  Gold- 
smith pupils,  were  beaten  by  Forest  Patchen  the  fol- 
lowing day.  After  a  trip  to  Albany,  where  Driver 
was  fourth  to  Director  and  Fenner  unplaced  to  Magic, 
and  Chicago,  where  the  old  Volunteer  gelding  was  un- 
placed by  the  star  attraction  in  Monroe  Salisbury's 
stable,  James  Goldsmith  started  east,  stopping  at 
Youngstown,  where  Walnut  won  a  free-for-all,  and 
Pittsburg,  where  he  also  picked  up  third  money  in  a 
race  won  by  Gladiator.  After  winning  second  money 
in  a  race  at  Great  Bend,  Pa.,  Walnut  was  gelded,  his 
only  other  start  in  1883  being  at  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  Oc- 
tober n,  where  he  trotted  third  to  Stephen  G. 

When  the  fair  season  opened,  James  H.  Goldsmith 
started  for  a  campaign  at  the  "pumpkin  shows"  with 
Fenner,  Driver  and  the  Deucalion  mare,  Nino.  Driver 
won  the  free-for-all  at  Johnstown,  Cobleskill,  Pawl- 
ing, Southington  and  New  Haven,  and  was  second  to 
Mambrino  Dudley  at  Danbury.  Nino  picked  up  two 
first  moneys  at  Pawling,  was  second  to  Theresa 
Sprague  at  Johnstown  and  second  to  Captain  Jake  at 
Albany,  where  she  made  a  record  of  2:30.  At  this 
meeting  Fenner  was  unplaced  to  Pilot  Knox,  and  after 
being  second  to  Prince  and  unplaced  to  Breeze  at 
Danbury,  he  closed  the  season  at  Mystic  Park  on 
October  30  by  saving  his  entrance  in  a  race  won  by 
Charlie  Knox.  The  following  is  a  summary  of  the 
season's  work : 


194 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Starters. 

T3 
tf 

Sire. 

t» 

00 

ttJ 

to 

9-4 

£ 

Second. 

•d 

2 

fH 

Fourth 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Driver  

Volunteer  

9 

4 

2 

2 

1 

$1.235  00 

Walnut  

Florida  

8 

1 

1 

4 

1 

1 

975  00 

Fenner      

2:32 

7 

2 

1 

1 

3 

300  00 

Nino  

2:30 

Deucalion  

4 

2 

1 

1 

259  50 

Total... 

28 

7 

6 

6 

4 

5 

$2.769  50 

DRIVER'S  CAREER. 


Superfluous  lags  the  veteran  on  the  stage. 

— -Johnson. 

Driver  trotted  his  last  race  for  the  Goldsmiths  at 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  October  18,  1883,  when  he  de- 
feated Troublesome,  Jimmy  Stewart  and  Louis.  In 
1882,  when  the  bell  rang,  the  old  Volunteer  gelding 
was  a  member  of  Charles  Taylor's  stable  in  Vermont. 
He  raced  him  a  little  for  three  seasons,  starting  him. 
in  sixteen  races,  of  which  he  won  nine,  was  second  in 
four  and  third  in  three.  Driver  made  his  last  start  at 
Montreal,  Que.,  October  20,  1886,  in  a  free-for  all  for  a 
$200  purse,  with  Chestnut  Hill,  Little  Gift  and  Avenue 
Girl.  Chestnut  Hill  won  the  first  heat  in  2:26,  with 
Driver  fourth,  and  Driver  the  second  in  2 128,  with 
Little  Gift  second  and  Chestnut  Hill  third.  The  race 
was  never  finished,  and  after  it,  this  tried  and  triu: 
race  horse  dropped  out  of  sight  until  his  death  was 


DRIVER  S   CAREER. 


195 


recorded,  in  1891.  As  a  campaigner,  he  takes  rank 
with  Lady  Suffolk,  Flora  Temple,  Goldsmith  Maid, 
Joe  Ripley  and  Tom  Keeler,  and  while  he  did  not  pos- 
sess the  record-breaking  speed  of  the  mares  in  the 
above  group,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  with  the  single 
exception  of  Rams,  he  raced  nearer  the  limit  of  his 
speed,  season  after  season,  than  any  harness,  per- 
former that  ever  took  the  word.  The  following  table 
presents  a  synopsis  of  Driver's  races  during  the  eleven 
years  that  he  was  campaigned.  It  shows  that  he 
started  in  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  races,  of  which  he 
won  sixty-two,  and  as  he  was  unplaced  in  but  seven, 
those  who  had  him  never  found  it  necessary  to  send 
home  for  a  few  dollars  to  bridge  them  over  what 
Turner  termed  a  "severe  week" : 


•O 

Jj 

a 

_j 

£ 

0 

Year. 

ta 

•d 

-a 

S 

M 

M 

Amount 

•H 

09 

§ 

"S 

g 

*E< 

cfi 

4J 

S 

Won. 

C3 
00 

IN 

1 

3 

o 

to 

a 
p 

V 

w 

w 

1876 

9 

3 

1 

3 

2 

34 

10 

$  1,450.00 

1877 

14 

3 

4 

3 

3 

1 

64 

12 

3,195.00 

1878 

13 

8 

2 

1 

2 

66 

40 

3,790.00 

1879 

25 

10 

5 

9 

3 

.... 

133 

42 

10,205.00 

1880 

24 

11 

6 

5 

2 

.... 

97 

40 

8,470.00 

1881 

22 

1 

11 

4 

6 

72 

7 

4,565.00 

1882 

21 

5 

5 

5 

2 

4 

67 

23 

4,495.00 

1883 

9 

4 

2 

2 

1 

33 

15 

1,235.00 

1884 

6 

3 

1 

2 

19 

9 

477.50 

1885 

4 

3 

1 

12 

9 

300.00 

1886 

6 

3 

2 

1 

.... 

16 

10 

587.50 

Totals 

1,53 

54 

38 

31 

22 

10 

613 

217 

$38,770.00 

196  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1884— WALNUT. 

And  yet  they  say  he  once  could  trot. — Holmes, 

Walnut  was  all  that  James  H.  Goldsmith  had  to 
depend  upon  for  expense  money  when  he  shipped  to 
Philadelphia  in  May.  The  money  winning  Volun- 
teers that  had  sustained  the  reputation  of  the  Walnut 
Grove  Farm  stables  for  so  many  years  had  gone  the 
way  of  the  world,  and  those  that  succeeded  them,  with 
the  exception  of  Domestic,  proved  very  weak  timber. 
After  winning  at  Suffolk  and  Belmont  Parks,  Walnut 
was  shipped  to  Ivy  City  Park,  Washington,  where  he 
won  the  2:23  class.  This  success  was  followed  by  a 
walk-over  at  Bradford,  Pa.,  and  firsts  in  the  free-for- 
alls  at  Clean,  N.  Y.,  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  and  St.  Marys, 
Pa.,  while  Nino,  who  had  been  picked  up  on  the  way 
west,  was  dropped  after  being  unplaced  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania Circuit  at  Bradford,  Erie  and  St.  Marys. 
After  being  unplaced  to  Harry  Wilkes  at  Homewood 
Park,  and  second  to  the  same  gelding  at  Exposition 
Park,  Pittsburg,  Walnut  swung  into  the  Grand  Cir- 
cuit, at  Cleveland,  where  he  was  again  defeated  by 
Harry  Wilkes,  A.  V.  Pantland  finishing  second  and 
Walnut  third,  King  Wilkes,  Mambrino  Sparkle,  Index 
and  five  others  being  below  him  in  the  summary.  On 
the  trip  down  the  line  Walnut  was  third  to  Index  at 
Buffalo,  second  to  Felix  at  Rochester,  where  he  won 
a  heat,  third  to  Felix  at  Utica,  fourth  to  King  Wilkes 
at  Hartford,  and  second  to  Onward  at  Springfield, 
where  he  won  two  heats  in  2:20^2,  2:21.  After  the 
Rochester  meeting  Belle  F.  was  added  to  Goldsmith's 
stable.  He  was  second  to  Onward  with  her  at  Utica, 


1884— WALNUT. 


197 


and  won  at  Hartford  and  Springfield,  where  he  gave 
her  a  record  of  2 :2O%  in  a  third  heat.  The  following 
week  at  Mystic  Park,  Boston,  she  was  second  to  But- 
terfly after  winning  two  heats,  but  won  again  at 
Albany,  where  she  disposed  of  Onward,  St.  Cloud, 
Billy  Button  and  Zoe  B.  The  records  also  show  that 
Goldsmith  had  a  mount  behind  St.  Albans  in  the  race 
Maxie  Cobb  won  at  Providence  in  September. 

After  a  let-up  of  a  month,  Walnut  dropped  into 
line  again  at  Mount  Holly,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  fourth 
to  Aclele  Gould,  Billy  Button  and  Captain  Emmons 
being  between  him  and  the  winner.  His  next  starts 
were  on  the  Philadelphia  tracks,  where,  after  trotting 
third  to  Captain  Emmons  at  Belmont  Park,  he  de- 
feated the  Continental  gelding  in  the  2:20  class  at  Suf- 
folk in  time  so  slow  that  it  could  scarcely  be  considered 
a  contest.  The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  sea- 
son's work : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

to 

+J 

t 

£ 

T3 

c 

Third. 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Walnut  

2:20^ 

Florida  

17 

7 

2 

5 

2 

1 

$3,127  50 

Belle  F 

2:20^ 

Masterlode 

5 

3 

2 

2,125  00 

St.  Albans 

Monmouth  Patchen  . 

1 

1 

Nino 

Deucalion 

8 

*> 

: 

Total  .  .  . 

26 

10 

4 

5 

2 

5 

$5,252  50 

198  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1885. 


The   horses   paw  and   prance   and   neigh, 
Fillies  and  colts  like  kittens  play, 
And  dance  and  toss  their  rippled  manes, 
Shirking  and  soft  as  silken  skeins. — Holmes. 

After  a  skip  of  two  years,  Unolala  was  shipped 
with  Walnut,  Domestic  and  Tracy  to  South  Bend, 
Ind.,  where  the  Walnut  Grove  Farm  stable  opened 
the  campaign  of  1885,  the  second  week  in  June.  Wal- 
nut was  the  only  starter  at  the  meeting.  He  finished 
second  to  Phyllis.  The  following  week,  at  Chicago, 
Walnut  won  the  2:19  class  over  Deck  Wright,  Felix 
and  Belle  F.  in  2:20^4,  2:21^4,  2:21  ;  after  being  second 
the  preceding  day  in  2:17^  to  Jerome  Turner.  Zoe  B. 
defeated  Jerome  Turner  and  Walnut  at  Saginaw. 
The  next  trial  was  at  Detroit,  where  Onward,  Secret 
and  Adelaide  were  also  in  the  field.  Jerome  Turner 
won  the  first  heat  in  2:21^4  and  Walnut  the  second 
in  the  same  time.  In  the  third  mile  Turner  scored  in 
2:19^4,  while  the  fourth  heat  went  to  Walnut  in 
2:21^2,  the  fifth  to  Zoe  B.  in  2:22,  and  the  sixth  and 
deciding  heat  to  Jerome  Turner  in  2:255^.  The  other 
members  of  the  stable  were  also  tried  at  Detroit,  Do- 
mestic finishing  third  to  Judge  Lindsey,  Tracy  fourth 
to  Bessie  G.,  and  Unolala,  who  was  third  to  Mambrino 
Sparkle  at  Chicago,  was  on  this  occasion  unplaced  to 
Urbana  Belle.  This  was  also  her  last  start. 

Walnut  moved  on  to  Pittsburg,  where,  after  trot- 
ting fourth  to  Albert  France  over  Exposition  Park, 
he  made  his  record  of  2:19*4  at  Homewood  Park  in 
the  first  heat  of  a  race  which  was  won  by  Zoe  B.and  in 
which  she  also  made  her  record  of  2:17*4,  Splan  fore- 


i885. 


199 


ing  her  out  with  Onward.  The  next  start  was  at 
Cleveland,  where  Walnut  was  distanced  by  Joe  Davis. 
He  was  then  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  remained 
until  September,  when  he  was  taken  up  and  won  at 
Freehold,  Hoboken,  and  Kingston,  was  second  to  Col. 
Wood  and  third  to  Judge  Davis  at  Goshen.  The  Vol- 
unteer gelding,  Carver,  was  also  started  in  five  races, 
of  which  he  won  three  and  made  a  record  of  2:33*4. 
Domestic  won  a  five-year-old  stake  at  the  meeting  of 
the  National  Association  of  Trotting  Horse  Breeders 
held  at  Island  Park,  Albany.  The  four-year-old  filly, 
Theo,  by  Heptagon,  also  started  at  this  meeting.  She 
was  distanced  by  Issaquena,  but  later  in  the  season 
won  a  stake  at  Goshen,  defeating  Philosee  in  2:33^4. 
During  the  breeders'  meeting  James  H.  Goldsmith 
also  won  the  Everett  House  and  Juvenile  stakes  with 
the  Meander  filly,  Stephanie,  and  the  Matron  stake  for 
three-year-olds  with  Edith  Almont.  The  following 
table  presents  the  returns  for  the  season : 


"8 

tc 

•d 

fl 

| 

Starters. 

Sire. 

JM 

cS 

8 

8 

In 

3 
0 

c 

Amount 
Won 

« 

to  . 

u< 

CO 

H 

Walnut 

2-19tf 

Florida 

If? 

4 

9, 

1 

1 

$2700  00 

Stephanie 

2-411/2 

Meander 

9 

9 

1  332  50 

Edith  Almont  

2:38% 

King  Almont 

1 

1 

850  00 

Domestic. 

2-38 

Volunteer 

1 

1 

1 

627  50 

Carver  

2:33% 

Volunteer  

6 

3 

1 

2 

470  00 

Theo 

2-33% 

Heptagon 

2 

1 

1 

200  00 

Unolala  

Volunteer  

2 

1 

15000 

Tracy 

Volunteer 

9, 

^ 

1 

Total  

31 

12 

7 

4 

4 

4 

$6.330  00 

200  THE   GOLDSMITHS.- 

DEATH  OF  ALDEN   GOLDSMITH. 


One  by  one  we  go  over  to  the  majority. 

-Wallace. 

In  1886,  Alden  Goldsmith,  with  Edwin  Thorne  as 
partner,  leaded  the  Hudson  River  Driving  Park,  at 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  made  an  effort  to  hold  race 
meetings  without  betting,  the  former  having  during 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  taken  aggressive  grounds 
against  speculation  of  every  character.  The  meet- 
ings proved  a  loss  financially,  and  the  worry  con- 
nected with  the  management  of  them  weakened  Alden 
Goldsmith's  nervous  system.  He  went  home  from 
Poughkeepsie  a  sick  man  and  gradually  grew  worse, 
until  he  died,  December  20,  aged  sixty-six.  As  he 
passed,  Hamilton  Busbey  wrote : 

"Alden  Goldsmith  was  a  man  of  resolute  type,  and 
he  made  an  impression  upon  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  a  breeder  of  ripe  experience,  and  he  knew 
from  practical  observation  how  to  develop  the  speed 
of  the  trotting  horse.  For  years  his  stable  was  very 
formidable  in  circuit  battles.  He  was  a  competitor 
for  prizes  on  nearly  all  of  the  tracks  of  the  country. 
He  brought  out  Goldsmith  Maid,  Gloster,  Huntress, 
Powers,  Alley,  Driver,  and  many  others,  and  he 
learned  to  be  modest  in  victory  and  philosophical  in 
defeat.  He  assisted  at  the  birth  of  The  National 
Trotting  Association,  and  season  after  season  his 
voice  was  heard  in  the  halls  of  the  Turf  Congress. 
He  was  also  prominent  in  the  meetings  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Trotting  Horse  Breeders. 
Words  came  easily  to  his  lips,  and  he  was  ever  ready 
to  debate  a  point.  He  was  a  good  after-dinner 


DEATH  OF  ALDEN  GOLDSMITH.  201 

speaker,  and  we  have  heard  him  round  periods  over 
the  social  board  in  scores  of  the  prominent  cities  of 
the  Union.  Mr.  Goldsmith  took  an  interest  in  politics 
and  filled  several  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
was  also  fond  of  books  and  pictures,  and  these  are  dis- 
played in  liberal  quantities  in  the  old-fashioned  .house 
at  Walnut  Grove  Farm.  He  has  left  a  widow  and  three 
children,  two  of  which  are  sons,  James  H.  and  John 
Alden,  both  of  whom  are  widely  known  in  connection 
with  the  trotting  horse.  There  is  one  name  which 
history  will  always  associate  with  the  development 
of  the  American  trotting  horse,  and  that  name  is 
Alden  Goldsmith." 

John  H.  Wallace  also  wrote  of  him  as  follows,  in 
the  Monthly  which  bore  his  name  :  "Mr.  Goldsmith 
was,  perhaps,  more  widely  known  than  any  other 
horseman  in  the  country.  He  had  been  so  many 
years  engaged  in  breeding  and  developing  his  own 
stock,  visiting  literally  all  parts  of  the  country  with 
his  trotters,  that  everybody  who  knew  anything  about 
trotting-horses  knew  Alden  Goldsmith.  He  was  a 
ready  speaker  without  being  a  careful  student,  and 
this  trait  of  his  character  was  manifested  in  his  breed- 
ing operations.  He  had  faith  in  results,  but  he  never 
seemed  to  comprehend  the  reasons  for  the  steps  that 
led  to  results.  Much  of  Mr.  Goldsmith's  fame  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  he  was  the  owner  of  Volunteer,  and 
nearly  all  of  Volunteer's  fame  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  a  master  who  was  competent  and  willing  to 
develop  the  speed  of  his  off-spring.  Without  being 
what  might  be  designated  as  'natural  trotters/  the 
Volunteers  have  surpassed  all  other  tribes  in  their 
unconquerable  will  as  race  horses.  Thus,  one  by  one, 


202  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

we  go  over  to  the  majority,  leaving  nothing  behind  by 
which  to  be  remembered,  except  what  we  have  ac- 
complished in  life." 

Since  the  above  was  written,  John  H.  Wallace  has 
gone  over  to  the  silent  majority,  and  no  better  epitaph 
could  be  fount!  for  his  tomb  than  the  last  sentence  in 
Alden  Goldsmith's  obituary.  What  he  accomplished 
will  keep  his  memory  green  in  the  harness  racing 
world  for  ages.  Hampered  by  poverty  and  conten- 
tion, much  of  which  was  of  his  own  making,  the  "old 
master"  gathered  the  rocks  upon  which  the  founda- 
tion rests  and  remained  at  the  helm  of  the  Trotting 
Register  until  the  light  harness  horse  was  recognized 
as  a  type  which  could  be  reproduced  by  breeding  in 
certain  lines. 

Joseph  Cairn  Simpson  also,  at  a  later  date,  referred 
to  Alden  Goldsmith  in  the  following  terms :  "Alden 
Goldsmith  was  a  plain  country  farmer  who  bred  a 
high  class  of  horses  in  an  era  when  the  trotting  horse 
had  but  a  meager  commercial  value.  Gifted  with  no 
superficial  education,  there  was  something  beyond  the 
common  run  of  yeomen  about  him.  He  was  polite 
without  being  servile,  and  dignified  without  being 
arrogant  or  severe.  In  a  word,  he  was  a  natural  gen- 
tleman, and  his  secret  of  success  in  life  lay  in  the  fact 
that  his  word  had  never  been  called  in  question.  His 
wife  was  the  fitting  helpmate  of  such  a  man  and 
brought  her  children  up  to  the  belief  that  good  be- 
havior was  bound  to  win  in  the  long  run." 


1 886 — DOMESTIC. 


203 


1886— DOMESTIC. 


The  last  of  that  bright  band. — Hemans. 

During  the  season  of  1886,  Alden  Goldsmith's 
racing  stable  confined  its  operations  to  the  Eastern 
tracks.  Domestic  and  Walnut  were  its  most  consistant 
performers.  The  former  won  ten  out  of  nineteen 
races,  while  Walnut's  slip  shows  five  firsts,  two  sec- 
onds and  two  thirds  for  nine  starts.  The  Volunteer 
geldings,  Carver  and  Tracy,  also  made  a  few  starts, 
the  former  taking  a  record  of  2:27^,  and  the  latter  a 
mark  of  2:30^.  Edwin  Thorne  was  represented  in 
the  stable  by  Misty  Morning,  by  Marksman.  She 
acquired  a  record  of  2  129^,  and  in  twelve  starts  was 
first  in  two,  second  in  three,  third  in  five  and  fourth  in 
two.  On  October  21  and  22,  during  the  meeting  at 
Suffolk  Park,  Philadelphia,  she  defeated  a  field  of 
fourteen  in  a  seven-heat  contest.  The  following  table 
presents  the  returns  for  the  year : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

L 

S 

Second. 

EH 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Domestic 

2-24%: 

Volunteer  . 

19 

10 

5 

2 

1 

1 

$2,445  00 

Walnut 

Florida 

9 

5 

2 

2 

1,540  00 

Misty  Morning  . 

2:29%: 

Marksman  

Ifl 

2 

3 

5 

2 

805  00 

Carver 

2-2714 

Volunteer    

12 

2 

4 

3 

3 

782  50 

Tracy 

230^ 

Volunteer 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

170  00 

Theo 

Heptagon 

1 

1 

45  00 

Total             .   . 

57 

19 

15 

14 

4 

5 

$5,787  50 

204  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1887— WALNUT  GROVE  FARM  SALE. 


You  take  him  like  your  best  girl — for  better  or  for  worse. 

— Bain 

In  order  to  settle  Alden  Goldsmith's  estate,  the 
Walnut  Grove  Farm  horses  were  sold  by  Peter  C. 
Kellogg  &  Co.  at  the  American  Horse  Exchange,  New 
York,  March  i  and  2,  ninety-two  head  realizing 
$55,360,  an  average  over  $600.  Domestic  proved  the 
highest  priced  of  the  lot,  Renssaeler  Weston  bidding 
him  off  for  James  H.  Goldsmith  at  $6,450.  Heptagon, 
a  brother  to  Hermes,  sold  for  $4,700 ;  Walnut,  whose 
racing  days  were  over,  for  $2,325,  and  Godiva,  the 
dam  of  Domestic,  for  $2,000.  Volunteer  remained  at 
the  farm  and  died  there  December  12,  1888. 

When  the  racing  season  opened  Misty  Morning 
and  Domestic  were  the  only  pupils  in  James  H.  Gold- 
smith's stable.  After  winning  the  2:29  class  at  Go- 
shen  on  Decoration  Day  with  the  first  named,  he 
shipped  to  Elmira,  where  she  was  unplaced  to  Lu- 
cille's  Baby,  and  Domestic  won  the  2 125  class.  The 
next  stop  was  at  Albany,  where  Domestic  trimmed 
Gean  Smith,  Lotta,  Lady  Whitefoot,  Lady  Alert  and 
Winona  without  getting  out  of  his  class.  From 
Island  Park  the  stable  shipped  to  Columbus,  O., 
where  Domestic  added  two  firsts  to  his  score  and 
Misty  Morning  was  third  to  Belle  Ogle.  These  mares 
met  again  at  Exposition  Park,  Pittsburg,  the  follow- 
ing week,  and  on  this  occasion  Misty  Morning  was 
second.  Domestic  won  another  race  at  this  meeting 
ana  was  then  shipped  to  Detroit,  where  he  made  his 
last  start. 


1887 — WALNUT  GROVE  FARM  SALE.        205 

On  July  25,  at  Hamtramck  Park,  Domestic  took 
the  word  in  the  2 125  class  with  Garnet,  Mambri- 
nette,  Marvel,  White  Stockings,  Edwin  C,  Gean 
Smith  and  Lowland  Girl,  in  what  proved  one  of  the 
worst  snarled  races  ever  seen  on  a  mile  track.  Low- 
land Girl,  the  favorite,  won  the  first  heat  in  2:20^4, 
with  Marvel  second  and  Gean  Smith  distanced.  On 
the  next  trip  the  favorite  made  a  break  going  away 
and  was  laid  up.  Marvel  went  on  and  won  in  2  :22, 
with  Garnet  second  and  Domestic  third.  As  S.  Caton 
jogged  around  behind  Lowland  Girl  he  overlooked  the 
fact  that  the  distance  flag  had  been  moved  from  the 
one  hundred  and  fifty-yard  stand  to  the  one  hundred 
on  account  of  the  field  being  reduced  to  seven,  and 
when  the  winner  of  the  heat  passed  under  the  wire 
he  was  inside  the  long  distance,  but  the  flag  fell  in  his 
mare's  face  before  she  reached  the  one  hundred-yard 
mark.  Lowland  Girl  was  sent  to  the  stable  and  the 
race  went  on  without  her,  Domestic  winning  the  third 
and  fourth  heats  in  2:20^,  2:23,  and  Marvel  the  fifth 
in  2  12 1 24.  With  the  non-heat  winners  out  of  the  way, 
Domestic  and  Marvel  were  the  only  starters  in  the 
sixth  heat.  The  latter  made  a  break  going  away  and 
Domestic  won  in  2:24*4.  The  judges  called  it  "no 
heat"  and  put  up  B.  Stanford  behind  Marvel.  He 
could  not  make  him  strike  a  trot  and  Domestic  won 
again  in  2:30^.  When  the  announcement  of  the 
premiums  was  made  the  bets  were  declared  off.  Do- 
mestic never  recovered  from  this  race.  After  a  long 
spell  of  sickness  at  the  Detroit  track  he  was  shipped 
to  Walnut  Grove  Farm,  where  he  died  the  following 
winter. 


206  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

Misty  Morning  made  her  first  bow  in  Grand  Cir- 
cuit company  at  Cleveland,  where  she  won,  after 
Globe  had  picked  up  two  heats  and  Class  Leader  one. 
She  was  also  returned  as  a  winner  at  Rochester,  where 
she  made  her  record  oi  2:21,  and  at  Utica.  After  trot- 
ting third  to  Favonia  at  Poughkeepsie  she  was  sold  to 
European  parties. 

During  the  Utica  meeting  A.  J.  Welch  purchased 
the  black  horse,  Atlantic,  from  R.  W.  Davis,  of  West 
Williamsfield,  O.,  and  placed  him  in  Goldsmith's 
stable.  He  started  him  at  Albany  the  following  week 
in  a  field  of  eight,  White  Socks,  with  J.  J.  Bowen  up, 
being  the  favorite,  and  won  after  a  five-heat  contest, 
In  which  Ben  Starr  and  the  favorite  each  won  a  heat. 
After  winning  another  race  at  Poughkeepsie,  Atlantic 
was  shipped  to  Cleveland,  where  he  trotted  second  to 
Patron  in  one  of  the  stakes  at  the  meeting  of  the  Ohio 
Association  of  Trotting  Horse  Breeders.  His  next 
start  was  at  Detroit,  where  he  made  his  record,  2:21, 
and  won  over  Ben  Starr,  Sarah  B.,  Globe,  Victor, 
Marvel  and  Chanter. 

On  October  7,  Atlantic  and  Williams  met  at  St. 
Louis.  The  Combat  horse  was  considered  invincible. 
In  the  preceding  three  months  he  had  eleven  first 
monies  to  show  for  twelve  starts,  while  Atlantic — 
well,  he  had  never  been  heard  of  in  Missouri.  As 
Goldsmith  was  not  in  a  hurry  to  get  in  the  thick  of  the 
fight,  Edwin  C.  stepped  out  and  won  the  first  heat  in 
2:21^4,  and  Williams  the  second  in  2:23^4.  Gold- 
smith made  his  bid  in  the  third  heat  and  landed  in 
2:22^4,  and  came  back  in  2.:2i^,  2:24.  The  last  start 
for  the  year  was  made  the  next  week  at  Kansas  City, 
where  Atlantic  was  named  to  start  against  Thornless,. 


1887— WALNUT   GROVE   FARM   SALE. 


207 


who  had  not  lost  a  race  during  the  season,  A.  V.  Pant- 
land,  White  Stockings,  Elmwood  Chief  and  Strathlan. 
As  neither  Atlantic  or  Thornless  were  out  for  the  first 
heat,  A.  V.  Pantland  won  in  2. 124^,  with  White  Stock- 
ings second.  On  the  next  trip  Atlantic  and  Thornless 
were  out  in  front  at  the  finish,  the  decision  being  in 
favor  of  the  stallion  in  2:23^4.  The  positions  were 
reversed  at  the  finish  of  the  third  mile,  Thornless  win- 
ning in  the  same  time.  This  was  followed  by  another 
lay  up  by  the  pair  of  contending  horses  and  A.  V. 
Pantland  slipped  in  another  heat  in  2:24^4.  The  fifth 
heat  went  to  Thornless  in  2 124,  Goldsmith  driving 
him  out  with  Atlantic  and  White  Stockings  third. 
When  the  non-heat  winners  were  ruled  out,  Atlantic 
won  all  that  was  in  sight  with  two  miles  in  2 124^4, 
2:26^,  Thornless  finishing  second  in  each  of  the 
heats.  As  A.  J.  Welch  backed  Atlantic  freely  in  both 
of  these  races  the  western  trip  with  the  black  horse 
proved  a  very  profitable  one.  A  summary  of  the  sea- 
son's work  appears  in  the  following  table : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Cfl 

nS 

*H 

to 

| 

£ 

Second. 

5 

'£ 

fH 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Misty  Morning  .  .  . 

2:21 

Marksman  

9 

4 

9, 

2 

1 

$3,325  00 

Atlantic 

2-21 

Almont 

6 

6 

1 

3,127  00 

Domestic 

2-20^ 

Volunteer  

7 

5 

1 

1 

2,469  00 

Total  

22 

14 

4 

2 

2 

$8,921  00 

208  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

VOLUNTEER  TRIBE. 


All  tracks  looked  alike  to  them. 

Domestic  was  the  last  of  Volunteer's  get  that  took 
the  word  on  the  big  tracks.  He  was  cut  down  in  the 
middle  of  his  career,  and  while  his  sire  survived  the 
founder  of  the  trotting  stud  at  Walnut  Grove  Farm 
until  December  12,  1888,  no  horse  of  note  was  added 
to  his  list  of  performers  after  1887.  The  glory  of  Vol- 
unteer as  a  sire  of  race  horses  departed  when  Driver, 
Alley,  Powers  and  Unolala,  the  old  guard  of  the  Gold- 
smith stable,  were  retired  by  age  and  the  ills  incident 
to  campaigning.  Their  sire  began  his  stud  career 
under  the  shadow  of  Hambletonian's  greatness  and 
was  neglected  by  the  public  until  his  merit  as  a  stock 
horse  was  fixed  by  the  turf  test.  The  family  he 
founded  has  not  bred  on  like  those  tracing  to  a  number 
of  the  sons  of  Hambletonian,  and  at  this  writing 
(1903)  has  been  almost  absorbed  by  the  more  prolific 
members  of  the  same  tribe. 

The  following  list  presents  the  performers  by  Vol- 
unteer, his  sons  that  have  sired  and  his  daughters 
which  have  produced  standard  speed  under  the  years, 
when  known,  that  they  were  foaled  to  the  close  of 
1902,  as  published  in  "Wallace's  Year  Book."  It 
shows  that  Gloster,  2:17,  and  Louis  Napoleon,  the 
most  successful  stock  horse  by  Volunteer,  were  foaled 
in  1866;  Carrie,  2:24^;  Mary  A.  Whitney,  2:28,  and 
Volunteer  Maid,  2 127,  three  fair  trotters  and  his 
greatest  speed  producers,  were  foaled  in  1867.  Alley, 
2:19,  and  Driver,  2:19^2,  a  pair  that  were  very  busy 


VOLUNTEER   TRIBE. 


209 


in  their  day,  were  foaled  in  1868,  while  the  Harry  Clay 
mare,  Flora,  produced  St.  Julien,  2:11%;  St.  Remo, 
2:28^,  and  Unolala,  2:22^,  in  consecutive  years. 


1859- 

Glen's  Hambletonian  (i  t.) 
Hamlet  2:36  (5  t,  I  p.) 

1863. 
Abdallah  2:30  (4  t.) 

1864. 

Fanny  Osborne,  dam  of 
Langtrey  2:26^. 
Hambletonian  Prince 

(3  t.) 

Huntress  2:20^. 
Kearsarge   (i  t.) 

1865. 
Amy  2:20^4,  dam  of 

Clay  King  2:27^. 

Autocrat    (i  t.) 
Bess,  dam  of 

Camille    2:20^. 

Bodine  2:ig%. 
Hyacinthe,  dam  of 

Mecca   (p.)   2: 

Sterling  (3  t.) 
Sunbeam,  dam  of 

Stephen   G.  2:20^. 

William  H.  Allen  2:2314 
(5  t.) 

1866. 

Advance    (i  t.) 
Frank  Wood  2:24. 
Gloster    2:17. 

John  Goldsmith  2:28^   (3  t.) 
Lady  Huggins,  dam  of 

Lilly  Irwin  2:30. 
Lorena,  dam  of 

Loami   2:24%. 

Valiant  2:28J4. 
Louise  Napoleon  (23  t.,  8  p.) 


Romper,    dam   of 

Golden  Bow  2:2724. 

Golden  Eagle  2:28^. 
Standard  Be?rer  (2  t.,  i  p.) 
Vivandiere,  dam  of 

Monocacy  2:1534. 
Voluntary,  dam  of 

Blackwood 


1867. 

Admiral   (4  t.) 
Carrie  2:24^,  dam  of 

Farandole  2:27. 

Samovar  2:28^. 
Enchantress,  dam  of 

Jubilee  2:30. 
Lady  Morrison  2:27^. 
Mary  A.  Whitney  2  .-28,  dam    of 

Blue  Blood  2:22^. 

Bon  Mot  2:25^4. 

Brava  2:14^.. 

First  Love  2:22^. 

Nomad  2:19. 
Volunteer  Maid  2:27,  dam  of 

Audacity   2:26. 

Broadway   2:29^. 

Dick  (p.)  2:12^. 
Volunteer  Maid,  dam  of 

Emmaetta  2:29. 

1868. 

Alley  2:19. 
Driver  2:19^. 
Florence,  dam  of 

Hebron  2:30. 

Juror  2:24^4. 
John  Bright   (3  t.) 
Lydia,  dam  of 

Will    Hamilton    2:2654. 
Oneta,  dam  of 

Ensign  2:28^. 


210 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Onoto,  dam  of 

Ripple   2\iyy2. 
Princess  Ethel,  dam  of 

Lady  Ethel  2:24%. 

Phantom   2:2954. 
Trio  2:2354,  dam  of 

Guitar  2:29^4. 
Volney   2:23.    * 
Wildfire   (i   t.) 
Young  Volunteer   (6  t.) 

1869. 
Lady  Goldsmith,  dam  of 

Ezra   T.   2:30. 

Ruby   Mac    (p.)    2\2il/2. 
Powers  2:21. 
Priceless,  dam  of 

Ernest  Maltravers    2:22^2. 
St.  Julien  2:1154. 
Venture,  dam  of 

Master  Medium  2:29^. 

1870. 

St.  Remo  2:28^. 
Volunteer  Boy  (4  t.) 

1871. 
Brocade,  dam  of 

Grasshopper  2:295/2. 
Bromide,  dam  of 

J.  W.  O.  2:28. 

Chicago  Volunteer  (6  t.,  I  p.) 
Heppenheimer,  dam  of 

Albrina    2:27. 
Kate,  dam  of 

Homestake  2:1454* 
Sweetness  2:2154,  dam  of 

Sidney   (p.)   2:19^. 

Royal  Guy  2:255^. 
Unolala  2:2254. 
Volunteer,  Jr.,  (i  t.) 

1872. 

Diamond  Volunteer   (2  t.) 
High  Private  (i  t.) 

1873- 

Ernest   (3  t.,  5  p.) 
Landmark  (23  t.,  2  p.) 


Louise  2:2954- 
Prince  Arthur  2:29. 
Violet,  dam  of 

Extralight  2:2754. 

Morelight   2:28. 
Volunteer  Star  (4  t.) 

1874- 

Alden   Goldsmith   (7  t.,  i  p.) 
Brittania,   dam  of 

Pliancy    (t.)    2:2954     (p.) 

2:i554. 
Eastlake,  dam  of 

Volbrino  H.,  2:2654. 
Gambetta  (n  t.) 
Harry  Blandy  (i  t.) 
Kentucky  Volunteer 

(4    t.,    2    p). 
Lady   Clare,   dam  of 
Fashion   2:29. 
Trotwood  2:22^/2. 
Volute   (i  t.) 

1876. 
Annie  Goldsmith,  dam  of 

Brilliant   2:17^. 
Delle,  dam  of 

Mount    Airy    (t.)    2:2454 
(p.)    2:215^. 

Neville  2:29^   t.,  2:16  p. 
Mischief,  dam  of 

Kioto  2:20^4. 
Red  Eagle  (i  t.) 
Romney,  dam  of 

Matteson  2:27. 

1877- 
Virginia,  dam  of 

Delwood    (p.)    2:1954. 

1878. 
Daisy  Volunteer,  dam  of 

Earles   Laddy  2:2454. 
Frank  Hampton  (i  t.,  I  p.) 
Velvet,  dam  of 

Miner  2:20. 

Remsen   2:2454. 
Volney  (2  t.) 
Volunteer  Chief  2:295^. 


VOLUNTEER   TRIBE.  211 

1879.  1882. 

Autumn  Queen  2:29.  Goldsmith  Frank  (i  t.) 
Carver  2:2754. 
Lonely,  dam  of  1883. 


Brooklet,  dam  of 

St.  Leo       i      )  Strongwood    (p  ) 

McKean  2:24^  (i  t.) 
1880. 

Domestic   2:20^.  1884. 

Ingrraham  (5  t,  I  p.)  Hillcrest  2:29. 

1881.  St.   Patrick   (p.)   2:14^    (it.) 

Alice  Packard,  dam  of  Susie  Collins  2:26^. 

Otis  Baron  (p.)  2:17^.  Voucher    (3   p.) 
Augustus  (i  p.) 
Changelet,  dam  of  TRRz 

Gov.  Rusk  2:27^4. 

Nettie,  dam  of  Happy  Volunteer  2:27^- 

Nettie  Field    (p.)   2:23.  Susie  L,  dam  of 
Nevins  (i  p.)  Highwood      Spider      (p) 

Volume  2:295^  (i  t.)  2:125/2. 

The  years  the  following"  were  foaled  is  not  known  by 
the  writer: 

Collette,  dam  of  Hannah,  dam  of 

BeckeySharp  (p.)     2:2354.  Dennis   P.  2:29^4. 

Collette   (p.)  2:21^.  Kitty  Flynn,  dam  of 

Dam  of  Amelia  C.  2:1954.  Harold  Flynn  (p.)    2:2454. 

Dam  of  Freddy  C.  2:265^.  Nelly  Haynes,  dam  of 

Dexter  2:27.  Ellen  Cooper  2:29^4. 

Fanny,  dam  of  Young  Sontag,  dam  of 
Lady  Thistle  2:28.  Themis  2:25. 

Early  in  life  Tames  H.  Goldsmith  learned  that  kind- 
ness was  the  key  to  the  confidence  of  the  Volunteers  and 
that  while  they  would  resent  a  blow  they  would  follow 
a  caress.  This  was  the  ladder  on  which  he  rose  to  fame 
and  made  him  during-  the  last  four  years  of  his  life,  when 
he  trained  a  public  stable,  one  of  the  greatest  if  not  the 
greatest  driver  of  trotting  horses.  John  Alden  Gold- 
smith was  also  a  graduate  of  the  same  school.  He  raced 
the  Volunteers  one  season  and  after  casting  about  in 


212  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

California  among"  breeds  of  all  kinds  he  ultimately  rode 
into  the  port  of  success  behind  the  descendents  of  Guy 
Wilkes  whose  sire  was  foaled  at  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  and 
of  which  an  early  day  sketch  will  be  presented  when 
that  family  is  reached  in  John  Goldsmith's  career. 


—COMPANY. 


Gritty,  uncertain  and  wild, 

Company  was  all  that  and  more, 

With  a  gait  like  a  buzz  saw  and  eyes  like  a  child, 

He  won  twice  and  was  heard  of  no  more. 

During  his  first  season  as  a  public  trainer,  James 
H.  Goldsmith  started  sixteen  horses  in  eighty-seven 
races,  of  which  he  won  twenty  eight,  was  second  in 
twenty-nine  and  unplaced  in  eleven.  His  first  start 
was  made  at  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  May  29,  where  he  was 
second  to  Mount  Morris  with  Beauty  Bright,  and 
second  to  Gautier  with  May  Gould.  Of  the  other 
starters,  William  was  awarded  a  second,  Echo  and 
Lever  each  a  third  and  Silvertail  first  premium  in  the 
2:18  class.  The  Royal  Fearnaught  gelding  won  again 
at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  the  following  week,  when 
May  Gould  was  second  to  Del  Monte  and  made  her 
record  of  2  125.  The  next  stop  was  at  Elmira,  where 
Atlantic  distanced  Rare  Ripe,  his  only  competitor  in 
the  2:20  class,  in  2:21*4.  Lever,  after  finishing 
second  to  Alley  W.,  won  the  three-minute  class  in 
2:32/4>  William  was  second  to  St.  Jacob,  Beauty 


1 88  8 — COMPANY.  •          213 

Bright  and  Echo  unplaced  and  Silverthread  second 
to  Little  Ida.  Lever  won  again  at  Binghamton  with- 
out reducing  his  record,  and  also  trotted  second  to 
Octavious,  while  Atlantic  and  William  finished  second 
in  the  races  in  which  they  were  started,  Beauty  Bright 
third  to  Alley  W.,  and  Echo  again  unplaced  to  Lu- 
cille's  Baby.  At  Derby,  Conn.,  which  was  the  next 
stand,  Beauty  Bright,  William  and  Atlantic  were  win- 
ners, Silverthread  finishing  second  to  Sally  C,  and 
Echo  behind  the  money  in  the  race  won  by  Westches- 
ter  Girl. 

After  a  start  at  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  July  4,  where  Silver- 
thread  was  defeated  by  Joe  L.,  James  H.  Goldsmith, 
dropped  Lever  and  Echo  and  shipped  to  Pittsburg 
to  fill  his  engagements  at  the  two  tracks  in  the  "Smoky 
City."  The  returns  for  the  meetings  show  that  he 
won  two  races  with  Beauty  Bright,  giving  her  a  mark 
of  2:28%,  a  first  and  a  fourth  with  William,  cutting 
his  record  to  2  123^,  a  second  and  a  fourth  with  Gean 
Smith,  while  Atlantic  trotted  second  to  Spofford  and 
Silverthread  was  unplaced  to  Duplex.  While  the 
Pittsburg  meeting  was  in  progress,  A.  J.  Welch  sold 
Atlantic  for  export,  the  black  son  of  Almont  being 
taken  to  Italy. 

After  stopping  a  week  at  Detroit,  where  Gean  Smith 
trotted  second  to  White  Stockings  and  Company  was 
unplaced  to  Kit  Curry,  the  Goldsmith  stable  followed 
the  line  of  the  circuit  to  Cleveland,  where  the  Associa- 
tion's books  show  that  it  started  three  horses,  Gean 
Smith  finishing  third  to  T.  T.  S.,  Beauty  Bright  fourth 
to  J.  B.  Richardson,  and  William  being  unplaced  to 
Lady  Whitefoot  in  the  race  in  which  Peek  marked 
him  in  2:18^.  Skipping  Buffalo,  Goldsmith  made 


214         •  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

his  next  start  at  Rochester,  where  William  and  Com- 
pany were  again  unplaced,  Beauty  Bright,  after  win- 
ning a  heat  in  2:23*4,  third  to  Frank  Buford,  Gean 
Smith  again  third  to  T.  T.  S.,  and  the  Heptagon  geld- 
ing Cleon  third  to  Elda  B. 

In  1888,  Utica,  as  a  member  of  the  Grand  Circuit, 
and  Poughkeepsie,  held  their  meetings  on  the  same 
dates.  As  the  majority  of  those  who  were  winning  on 
the  trip  from  Detroit  were  engaged  at  Utica,  Gold- 
smith shipped  to  the  city  on  the  Hudson  River  and 
won  with  Cleon,  Gean  Smith,  Company  (marking  him 
in  2:1924)  and  Silverthread  (giving  him  his  record 
2  :i5/4)while  Beauty  Bright,  after  winning  a  heat,  was 
beaten  by  the  Blue  Bull  mare  Bertha.  These  successes 
were  followed  by  a  series  of  reverses  at  Island  Park, 
where  Company  and  Beauty  Bright  were  behind  the 
money  and  Gean  Smith  managed  to  save  his  entrance 
in  the  race  won  by  T.  T.  S.  During  the  week  Wil- 
liam started  in  a  $3,000  stake  at  Hornellsville,  N.  Y., 
where  he  trotted  second  to  Mount  Morris. 

Hartford  was  the  next  member  of  the  Grand  Cir- 
cuit. While  its  meeting  was  in  progress  James  H. 
Goldsmith  marked  Cleon  2:22,  Beauty  Bright  2:21^4, 
William  2:18%,  and  reduced  Gean  Smith's  record  to 
2:18^4.  His  returns  for  the  week  were  a  first  with 
Cleon,  second  to  Geneva  S.  with  William,  second  to 
Protection  with  Gean  Smith,  second  to  Golden  Rod 
with  Beauty  Bright,  second  to  Captain  with  Company, 
and  fourth  to  Ed.  Annan  with  Silverthread.  In  the 
race  in  which  he  started  Company,  James  H.  Gold- 
smith exhibited  a  sample  of  his  patience  with  a  bad 
horse.  He  was  in  against  Captain,  William  Kearney, 


I  888 COMPANY.  215 

Frank  Buford,  Charley  Gibson  and  Jeremiah.  The 
Kentucky  Prince  gelding  had  won  at  Poughkeepsie, 
defeating  Graylight,  who  afterwards  became  a  free- 
for-all  candidate  under  Goldsmith's  pilotage,  Superior, 
and  a  number  of  others,  taking  a  record  of  2:19^4. 
He  was  known  to  be  uncertain,  unsteady  and  a 
tremendous  puller;  in  fact,  so  bad  that  John  Murphy, 
who  gave  him  his  first  lessons,  stopped  him  in  a  race 
at  Cleveland  and  sent  him  to  the  stable. 

Company  was  the  kind  of  a  horse  that  Goldsmith 
cottoned  to,  possibly  on  account  of  nearly  every  other 
driver  being  disposed  to  give  him  the  cold  shoulder. 
At  all  events,  he  got  him,  won  the  race  at  Poughkeep- 
sie, and  then  popped  up  at  Charter  Oak.  The  race 
was  one  of  the  kind  that  makes  men  dizzy.  Feek  won 
the  first  two  heats  with  William  Kearney.  In  the 
third  heat  Company  out-finished  him,  and  then  Cap- 
tain won  two  heats,  Goldsmith  fighting  Golden  at 
every  point.  When  Company  won  the  sixth  heat 
Goldsmith  felt  he  could  win.  It  was  then  the  fun 
commenced.  The  bee  in  Company's  bonnet  began 
buzzing — it  made  him  dizzy,  rank,  cantankerous, 
mean.  Guy,  in  his  sulkiest  mood,  was  not  a  marker  to 
him.  For  over  three-quarters  of  an  hour  he  chassed, 
waltzed,  danced  and  hobbled  down  the  stretch  with 
William  Kearney  and  Captain.  The  public  was  dis- 
gusted, but  Goldsmith  was  unruffled.  He  had  a  whip 
and  an  arm  that  could  use  it  as  unmercifully  as  any 
man  in  the  business  when  the  position  warranted  it, 
but  he  sat  there  and  waited  patiently  for  Company  to 
get  over  his  tantrum.  The  starter  and  judges  were 
also  determined  to  send  him  away  on  a  trot,  and  when 


216  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

they  did  finally  catch  him  on  his  gait  it  was  only  for  a 
short  distance,  and  Captain  won.  When  the  agony 
was  over,  Goldsmith  did  not  lose  his  temper  with 
Company,  but  patted  him  as  good  naturedly  after  the 
exhibition  which  had  cost  him,  in  all  probability,  first 
premium  and  all  that  went  with  it.  This  was  one  of 
the  secrets  of  Goldsmith's  success,  and  the  records 
show  that  Company  won  for  him  at  Springfield  the  fol- 
lowing week,  where  Gean  Smith  was  second  to  Spof- 
ford,  Cleon  second  to  Elda  B.,  Billy  Stewart  fourth  to 
Roy  Wilkes,  and  Lena  Wilkes  unplaced  to  Golden 
Rod. 

New  York  followed  Springfield  in  the  Grand  Cir- 
cuit, and  while  at  Fleetwood  Park,  James  H.  Gold- 
smith won  with  Gean  Smith  and  Horton,  and  trotted 
second  to  Guy  with  Cleon.  He  also  shipped  Beauty 
Bright  over  to  Huntington,  where  she  trotted  second 
to  Joe  S.  The  next  stop  was  at  Point  Breeze  Park, 
Philadelphia,  where  Cleon  won  the  2. 140  and  2 133 
classes  in  straight  heats,  Gean  Smith  defeated  Kite- 
foot,  Spofford,  Kit  Curry  and  T.T.S.in  the  2:18  class; 
Billy  Stewart  gathered  in  the  2 120  class,  making  a 
record  of  2:19^;  Onie  D.  paced  second  to  Bessemer 
and  Lena  Wilkes  saved  her  entrance  in  the  race  won  by 
Royal.  During  the  balance  of  the  season  Gean  Smith 
won  two  races  and  was  second  to  Beulah  at  Trenton, 
N.  J. ;  Billy  Stewart  won  at  Mount  Holly,  N.  J.,  but 
was  beaten  at  Trenton  and  Goshen  by  Balsora Wilkes; 
Cleon  won  at  Trenton  and  Beauty  Bright  was  un- 
placed in  the  free-for-all  at  the  Danbury  fair.  A 
synopsis  of  the  campaign  appears  in  the  following 
table : 


1 889 — STAR   LILY. 


217 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

2 

£ 

TS 

c 

Third. 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Gean  Smith 

2:18i/4 

Dauntless  

15 

6 

4 

3 

2 

$5,370  00 

Cleon 

2-22 

Heptagon 

8 

5 

2 

1 

4,475  00 

William  

2:18% 
2-21^ 

Wilder  
John  Bright 

11 
n 

2 
3 

5 
4 

2 

2 
1 

2 
2 

3,463  75 
2,335  00 

Company  
Silverthread  (p).  .. 
Billy  Stewart  (p)  .  . 
Atlantic 

2:193/4 
2:15^ 
2:19% 

Kentucky  Prince  
Royal  Fearnaught  
American  Boy  

6 
8 
6 
4 

2 
3 
2 

9 

1 
3 

2 
2 

1 
1 

1 
1 

2 
1 

2,075  00 
1,365  00 
1,195  00 
825  00 

Lever  
Horton  
May  Gould  
J.  B.  Richardson  .  . 
Onie  D    (p) 

2:32^ 
2:25% 
2:24^ 

Col.  Scattergood  
Polonius  
Jay  Gould  
George  Wilkes  
Warwick  Boy  

5 
1 

2 
1 
1 

2 

1 

2 

2 
1 
1 

1 

.... 

52500 
500  00 
25000 
250  00 
250  00 

Echo 

Regulus  

4 

2 

2 

135  00 

Lena  Wilkes 

Barney  Wilkes 

o 

1 

1 

100  00 

Amy  Belle 

1 

1 

Total  

87 

28 

29 

11 

8 

11 

$23,113  75 

1889— STAR  LILY. 


She  was  thin  but  sweet-gaited, 
With  the  snap  to  her  stride 
That  stamped  her  a  trotter 
If  such  points  are  a  guide. 
There  was  a  spark  in  her  eye,« 
And  a  scar  on  her  shin, 
And  while  they  told  a  whole  lot, 
She'd  the  speed  and  could  win. 

James  H.  Goldsmith's  campaign  in  1889  covered 
eighteen  weeks,  the  start  being  made  at  Island  Park, 
Albany,  the  third  week  in  June,  when  Gillig  won  the 
Clay  Stake,  and  the  last  race  trotted  over  Point  Breeze 


218  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

Park,  Philadelphia,  where,  on  October  29  and  30,  the 
four-year-old  colt,  Pamlico,  won  a  seven-heat  race 
from  a  field  of  seventeen  in  2:29^,  2:31^,  2:28^. 
During  the  interval  covered  by  the  above  dates, 
Goldsmith  started  nineteen  horses  in  eighty-eight 
races,  of  which  he  won  twenty-six,  was  second  in 
twenty-two,  third  in  ten  and  fourth  in  thirteen. 

After  preparing  his  horses  over  the  Fashion  Farm 
track  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  James  H.  Goldsmith  shipped 
to  Albany,  where  he  won  with  Gillig  and  Gean  Smith, 
was  twice  second  to  Walkill  Boy  with  the  Meander 
filly,  Stephanie,  which  he  afterwards  drove  to  a  record 
of  2  :2524  at  Hartford,  where  she  lost  to  May  Be,  but 
eventually  won  in  slower  time  at  Poughkeepsie,  where 
Billy  Stewart  was  second  to  Marendes,  after  cutting 
his  record  to  2:18^4,  Barney  Lee  third  to  the  Parkville 
Farm  mare,  Edith  R.,  and  Cleon  saved  his  entrance  in 
the  race  won  by  Yorktown  Belle. 

Goldsmith's  stable  had  an  inning  at  the  Hartford 
June  meeting,  the  report  showing  that  he  won  at 
Charter  Oak  Park  with  Gean  Smith,  Gillig,  Cleon  and 
Billy  Stewart,  while  Stephanie  was  awarded  a  second 
and  Barney  Lee  was  unplaced  to  Aubine.  The  next 
stop  was  at  Poughkeepsie,  where  Gillig,  Stephanie 
and  Gean  Smith  were  awarded  first  premiums,  Cleon 
and  Billy  Stewart  each  a  second,  Tot  and  Barney  Lee 
a  third  each  and  John  Ferguson  a  fourth. 

After  a  let-up  of  two  weeks  the  Goldsmith  stable 
made  its  bow  at  Detroit  during  the  opening  meeting 
of  the  Grand  Circuit.  On  the  trip  down  the  line  Gean 
Smith  proved  its  most  industrious  member,  as  he  won 
at  Detroit,  Cleveland,  where  he  made  his  record  of 
2:15^/2  in  a  third  heat,  Buffalo,  Poughkeepsie,  Hart- 


1 889 — STAR   LILY.  219 

ford  and  Springfield,  and  was  beaten  by  Harry  Wilkes 
at  Rochester,  Boston  and  New  York.  The  race  that 
Gean  Smith  lost  to  Harry  Wilkes  -at  Rochester  was  a 
trifle  off  color,  the  deciding  mile  being  won  in  2:26, 
while  the  Dauntless  gelding  trotted  it  in  about  2:30. 
The  following  week  at  Poughkeepsie  he  won  in 
2:18^4,  2:15%,  2:18,  over  the  same  horse  and  Mam- 
brino  Sparkle. 

Graylight  was  tried  at  Detroit  and  Cleveland,  the 
big  gray  saving  his  entrance  in  the  events  won  by  Kit 
Curry  and  Jack.  When  Buffalo  was  reached  he  was  on 
his  good  behavior  and  won  in  2:16^.  At  Rochester  he 
was  second  to  Jack,  and  third  to  Mocking  Bird  in  the 
2  :2O  class  at  Poughkeepsie.  His  last  start  for  the  sea- 
son was  made  in  the  Charter  Oak  Stake  at  Hartford, 
where  he  was  distanced  in  the  second  heat  by  Alcryon. 
Cleon  and  Arbutus  were  dropped  from  the  stable  after 
being  unplaced  at  Detroit,  and  Billy  Stewart  met  with 
the  same  fate  after  being  beaten  by  Lillian  at  Cleve- 
land and  Ed  Annan  at  Buffalo. 

After  the  chestnut  mare,  Star  Lily,  trotted  second 
to  Veritas  at  Detroit,  she  was  purchased  by  A.  J. 
Welch  and  placed  in  Goldsmith's  stable.  He  started 
her  at  Cleveland,  where  she  finished  second  to  Refer- 
ence. The  next  start  was  at  Buffalo,  where  she  won 
over  Reference  and  Marksman  Maid,  after  trotting 
six  heats.  Star  Lily's  next  engagement  was  the 
$10,000  Flower  City  Stake,  at  Rochester.  It  was  con- 
sidered a  gift  for  Veritas,  driven  by  Budd  Doble,  who 
won  the  event  in  1888  with  the  Pilot  Medium  gelding, 
Jack.  The  other  starters  were  Sprague  Golddust, 
Tariff,  Ketch,  Gold  Ring,  Reference,  Camille,  Tippie 
and  Maud  Muller.  Veritas  won  the  first  heat  in 


220  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

2:20%,  after  a  sharp  brush  with  Sprague  Golddust. 
On  the  next  trip  Ketch  was  first  under  the  wire,  but 
as  he  had  forced  Sprague  Golddust  out  of  his  position 
in  the  stretch  he  was  placed  last  and  the  heat  given  to 
Green's  horse  in  2  -.20,  with  Tariff  second  and  Maud 
Muller  third.  Sprague  Golddust  also  won  the  third 
heat  in  2:22%,  with  Veritas  second,  while  Reference 
met  with  an  accident  which  caused  him  to  be  drawn. 
On  the  next  trip  Tariff  carried  Sprague  Golddust  to  a 
break  at  the  head  of  the  stretch  and  looked  to  have  the 
heat  won,  when  he  made  a  mistake  and  Ketch  nipped 
him  at  the  wire  in  2:221/2.  Star  Lily  made  a  break  on 
the  first  turn,  and  in  taking  her  back  Goldsmith  pulled 
her  in  front  of  Veritas.  The  latter  sprang  into  the  air 
when  Doble  took  hold  of  him,  and  landed  on  Gold- 
smith's sulky,  almost  crushing  it.  Goldsmith  pulled 
up,  while  Veritas  jogged  over  the  course.  In  the  fifth 
heat  Ketch,  Tariff  and  Veritas  trotted  in  a  bunch  to 
the  head  of  the  stretch,  where  Goldsmith  appeared  on 
the  outside  with  Star  Lily.  From  that  point  it  was 
nip  and  tuck  between  Ketch  and  the  mare,  the  latter 
winning  by  a  head  in  2:2^/4.  Star  Lily  also  won  the 
sixth  heat  in  2:22%,  after  which  the  race  went  over 
until  the  following  day,  when  she  pulled  it  off  with  a 
mile  in  2  '.21^4,  there  being  but  a  neck  between  her  and 
Sprague  Golddust  at  the  finish.  After  winning  the 
2 130  class  at  Poughkeepsie  and  being  defeated  by 
Sprague  Golddust  in  the  2  -.30  class  at  that  town  and 
at  Hartford,  where  she  reduced  her  record  to  2 120, 
Star  Lily  was  placed  on  the  retired  list. 

Of  the  other  horses  that  Goldsmith  brought  down 
the  line  of  the  Grand  Circuit,  Gillig  was.  unplaced  to 
Colvina  Sprague  at  Cleveland,  third  to  McEwen  at 


1 889— STAR  LILY.  221 

Buffalo,  fourth  to  Prince  Regent  in  a  four-year-old 
stake  at  Hartford,  and  second  to  Greenlander  at 
Springfield.  Silverthread  was  picked  up  at  Roches- 
ter, where  he  saved  his  entrance  in  the  free-for-all, 
won  by  Gossip,  Jr.,  but  was  distanced  by  Roy  Wilkes 
the  following  week  at  Poughkeepsie.  The  Canadian 
bred  gelding,  John  Ferguson,  was  tried  at  Buffalo, 
Rochester,  Hartford  and  Springfield,  but  failed  to  get 
inside  the  money,  while  the  Almonarch  mare,  Fred- 
erica,  was  third  to  Maud  Muller  at  Hartford,  second 
to  Whalebone  at  Springfield,  where  she  won  two  heats 
in  2.  -.23,  2 :22,  fourth  to  Morelight  at  New  York,  and 
won  over  the  half-mile  track  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  in 
October.  Frank  T.  was  also  tried  in  Grand  Circuit 
company  at  Poughkeepsie,  where  he  trotted  fourth  to 
Marksman  Maid,  and  at  Hartford,  where  he  was  third 
in  the  race  won  by  George  Singerley's  roan  mare, 
Katharine  S.  Longford,  another  member  of  the 
stable,  was  second  to  Geneva  at  Hartford,  unplaced  to 
Alcryon  at  Springfield  and  second  to  Sensation  at 
New  York,  where  he  won  a  heat  in  2:22^.  James  H. 
Goldsmith  also  drove  Chase  in  the  race  Hal  Pointer 
won  at  Hartford,  and  was  behind  Company  when  he 
was  distanced  by  Geneva  S.  at  New  York. 

The  horse,  Markland,  by  Victor  Bismarck,  was 
also  a  member  of  Goldsmith's  Grand  Circuit  stable. 
He  was  tried  at  Cleveland  in  the  race  in  which  Hal 
Pointer  made  his  first  bow  in  fast  society.  On  that 
occasion  the  flashy  gray  gelding,  William  M.  Singerly, 
.sailed  out  in  front  and  won  a  heat  in  2:17^/2.  On  the 
next  trip  Geers  touched  the  speed  button  in  Hal 
Pointer's  anatomy  and  it  was  all  over,  but  the  shout- 
ing, the  "Pointer  hoss"  winning  after  the  first  heat 


222  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

as  he  pleased  in  2:15^4,  2:18^,  2:18%.  Markland 
was  unplaced.  At  Poughkeepsie  he  was  fourth  to 
Minnie  P.,  and  at  Baltimore  third  to  Dallas.  At 
Elmira,  the  last  week  in  September,  James  H.  Gold- 
smith made  his  first  start  in  a  four-year-old  stake  with 
Pamlico,  the  Meander  colt,  which  eventually  became 
so  prominent  in  the  harness  racing  world,  finishing 
second  to  E.  C.  Walker  with  Soto.  The  next  start 
was  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where  Frederica  won  the  2  129 
class,  Barney  Lee  was  fourth  to  Charley  Gibson,  and 
Longford  unplaced  in  the  race  won  by  W.  K.  The 
following  week,  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  out  of  nine  starts 
Goldsmith  won  a  second  with  Tot  and  reduced  her 
record  to  2  124  in  a  trip  against  time,  Longford  won 
the  2:18  class,  and  two  days  later  trotted  fourth  to 
Cypress,  while  Silvertail  was  second  to  Jewell  in  the 
free-for-all,  Barney  Lee  second  to  Corona  and  Pam- 
lico second  to  Wonder.  Shipping  to  Morristown, 
Goldsmith  won  a  first  and  a  second  with  Pamlico,  a 
second  with  Barney  Lee  and  a  second  with  Tot,  after 
which  he  closed  the  season  at  Point  Breeze  Park, 
Philadelphia,  as  has  been  stated,  by  winning  a  seven- 
heat  race  from  a  field  of  seventeen  starters  with  Pam- 
lico. The  following  table  presents  a  record  of  the 
season's  work : 


1 890 — PA  MLICO . 


223 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

GO 

£ 

Second. 

i 

2 

h 

Fourth. 

Unplaced  1 

Amount 
Won. 

Star  Lily  
Gean  Smith  
Gillig                

2:20 

2:15% 
2:23% 

President  Garfield  
Dauntless  
Aristos  

6 
12 

8 

3 
9 
4 

2 
2 
1 

1 

1 
1 

1 

1 

$8,750  00 
8,450  00 
3  275  00 

2-16% 

Starlight 

6 

1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

2  125  00 

2-21%: 

Chosroes 

6 

1 

2 

1 

9 

1  175  00 

2-22 

Almonarch 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1  125  00 

Stephanie            .... 

2:25^ 

Meander  

4 

1 

8 

1,050  00 

Billy  Stewart  (p)  .. 
Pamlico  . 

2:18% 
2:28% 

American  Boy  
Meander  

5 

6 

1 
3 

2 
2 

1 

2 

700  00 
650  00 

Cleon          .         

Heptagon  

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

600  00 

Tot  

2'24 

Young  Columbus,  Jr.. 

5 

1 

2" 

1 

1 

582  50 

Dave  Hill 

6 

2 

1 

2 

1 

495  00 

Frank  T 

Hill's  Duroc 

2 

1 

1 

375  00 

Silverthread  (p)... 
Markland  (p) 

Royal  Fearnaught  
Victor  Bismarck 

3 
3 

1 

1 

1 
1 

1 
1 

225  00 

200  00 

Forest  Mambrino 

5 

1 

4 

80  00 

Chase  (p) 

Billy  Green 

1 

1 

Arbutus 

Electioneer 

1 

1 

Company 

Kentucky  Prince 

1 

1 

Total  

88 

26 

22 

10 

13 

17 

$29,857  50 

1890— PAMLICO. 


He  had  that  snappy  Dexter  gait 
Which  opened  and  shut  like  a  knife; 
And  when  he  was  turned  for  the  word, 
You  could  bet  he  would  race  for  your  life. 

Dundee  Park,  Paterson,  N.  J.,  was  selected  as  the 
training  ground  for  the  Goldsmith  stable  in  1890,  and 
before  leaving  there  a  number  of  its  best  represent- 
atives were  started  at  two  meetings.  On  Decoration 
Day,  in  a  series  of  specials,  Gretna  and  Robert  M. 
Taylor  were  each  awarded  seconds  and  Pamlico  a 
third.  The  following  week,  when  stripped  for 


224  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

the  regular  meeting,  Pamlico,  Dawson,  Simmocolon 
and  Mambrino  Maid  were  marked  as  winners,  Miss 
Pauley  saved  her  entrance,  while  Plush  and  Robert 
M.  Taylor  were  unplaced.  Dawson  picked  up  an- 
other race  at  Albany  the  next  week,  while  Plush  also 
won  the  2.  :2O  class,  after  a  seven-heat  contest  with 
Yorktown  Belle,  Maud  Muller  and  Golden  Rod,  in 
which  all  of  them  won  heats,  and  Simmocolon  trotted 
third  to  Suisun  in  the  Clay  Stake,  Alicante  being  be- 
tween him  and  the  winner. 

James  H.  Goldsmith  won  five  of  the  nine  races 
programmed  for  the  June  meeting  at  Mystic  Park,  Bos- 
ton, in  1890,  with  Pamlico,  Simmocolon,  Miss  Pauley 
and  Dawson,  the  last  named  having  two  events  placed 
to  his  credit,  while  he  was  also  second  to  Fearnaught 
with  Mambrino  Maid,  and  unplaced  with  Richmond, 
Jr.,  and  Robert  M.  Taylor,  both  of  them  being  dis- 
tanced. In  her  race  with  Fearnaught,  Mambrino 
Maid  reduced  her  record  to  2 122  and  showed  her 
ability  to  beat  2  :2O,  much  to  the  surprise  of  those  who 
branded  her  a  self-willed  hussy  that  was  marked  for 
life  when  she  was  sent  away  from  Lexington  with  a 
mark  of  2:23^4.  When  Goldsmith  sampled  her  he 
found  that  she  was  one  of  the  kind  that  must  be  let  go 
when  they  want  to,  but  as  she  stepped  off  good  gaited 
and  had  plenty  of  speed,  it  did  not  take  him  long  to 
mould  her  into  a  first-class  piece  of  racing  material. 

After  stopping  at  Hartford,  where  Simmocolon 
and  Dawson  won,  Plush  trotted  second  to  Fear- 
naught,  Mambrino  Maid  fourth  to  Jean  Valjean,  and 
Richmond,  Jr.,  a  horse  which  his  brother  brought  on 
from  California,  fourth  to  Molly  J.,  the  Goldsmith 
stable  was  shipped  to  Poughkeepsie,  where  Pamlico 
and  Mambrino  Maid  won  their  engagements,  Plush 


1890 — PAMLICO  225 

and  Miss  Pauley  were  each  awarded  third  premiums, 
and  Robert  M.  Taylor  behind  the  money,  as  usual. 
The  next  stop  was  at  Philadelphia,  where,  during  the 
July  meetings  at  the  Philadelphia  Driving  Park  and 
Belmont,  Goldsmith  won  the  Bellevue  House  Stake 
with  Pamlico  from  Suisun  and  Andante,  reducing  his 
record  to  2:17^2,  an  eight-heat  race  with  Simmocolon, 
cutting  his  mark  to  2:20%,  a  first  and  a  second  with 
Mambrino  Maid,  a  mark  of  2:18%  being  placed  after 
her  name  in  one  of  the  events,  a  second  and  a  fourth 
with  Plush,  a  second  with  Gretna,  the  Mambrino  Dud- 
ley mare  making  her  mark  of  2 127^  in  the  race,  a 
third  with  Stephanie,  while  Miss  Pauley  and  Robert 
M.  Taylor  were  outside. 

After  cutting  out  the  weaker  members  of  his 
stable,  Goldsmith  dropped  into  the  Grand  Circuit  at 
Pittsburg,  where  he  won  with  Mambrino  Maid,  Sim- 
mocolon and  Mamie  Wood,  while  Pamlico  finished 
second  to  Rosaline  Wilkes  in  the  free-for-all.  Daw- 
son  was  saved  for  Cleveland,  where  he  was  beaten  by 
McDoel.  At  Buffalo  he  won  again  by  the  narrowest 
kind  of  a  margin,  or,  as  a  local  reporter  remarked,  "by 
an  eyebrow."  He  trotted  his  last  race  at  Rochester 
in  the  2:21  class,  which  was  won  by  McDoel,  with 
Miss  Alice  second,  Tariff  third,  and  the  Mansfield 
gelding  fourth. 

On  the  trip  down  the  line  Mambrino  Maid, 
Pamlico,  Simmocolon  and  Mamie  Wood  proved 
the  props  of  the  Goldsmith  stable.  The  Mambrino 
Startle  mare  won  at  Cleveland,  where  she  trotted  in 
2:17%,  Buffalo,  Rochester  and  Springfield,  and  was 
second  to  Mocking  Bird  at  Poughkeepsie,  Hartford 
and  Philadelphia.  Pamlico  won  at  Rochester,  where 
he  made  a  record  of  2:16^,  and  Springfield,  was 


226  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

second  to  Alfred  S.  at  Cleveland,  second  to  Prince  Re- 
gent at  Buffalo,  and  third  to  the  same  horse  in  the 
Charter  Oak  Stake  at  Hartford.  After  winning  at 
Cleveland,  where  he  trotted  in  2:17,  Simmocolon  was 
second  to  Walter  E.  in  a  nine-heat  race  at  Buffalo, 
fourth  to  Keno  F.  in  the  Flower  City  Stake  at  Roches- 
ter, and  first  at  Hartford  and  Springfield,  where  he 
defeated  McEwen  and  Mocking  Bird.  He  also  won 
the  Stallion  Stake  at  Lexington  with  W.  J.  Andrews 
in  the  sulky,  James  H.  Goldsmith  having  been  struck 
down  the  day  before  the  race  by  what  appeared  to  be 
partial  paralysis. 

Walter  E.  defeated  Mamie  Wood  at  Cleveland  and 
Rochester.  She  was  also  unplaced  to  Neal  Whitbeck 
at  Poughkeepsie,  but  won  at  Hartford  and  Springfield. 
After  the  meeting  at  Hampden  Park  the  little  roan 
mare  passed  into  another  stable,  and  Goldsmith  de- 
feated her  the  following  week  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New 
York,  with  Frank  T.,  marking  him  in  2:23*4.  He 
also  started  this  gelding  at  the  September  meetings 
at  Philadelphia,  finishing  second  to  Nightingale  at 
Point  Breeze,  and  winning  with  him  at  Belmont,  after 
losing  a  heat  to  Dandy.  Richmond,  Jr.,  made  his  first 
start  in  the  Grand  Circuit  at  Rochester  and  won  in 
2:21%.  At  Poughkeepsie  he  was  third  to  Henrietta, 
and  at  Hartford  third  to  The  Seer.  After  being  un- 
placed to  Stevie  at  Springfield,  he  was  given  a  let  up 
until  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  second  to  Maud 
Muller  at  Point  Breeze,  and  won  at  Belmont  after 
Autograph  landed  a  heat  in  2:18^2.  His  slip  for  the 
season  also  shows  that  he  was  second  to  Horicon  at 
Pittsburg  and  unplaced  to  Senator  Conkling  at  Lex- 
ington. Robert  M.  Taylor  was  also  tried  again  at 


1890 — PAMLICO 


227 


Poughkeepsie,  in  August.  He  finished  third  to  Soto, 
and  was  then  shipped  to  Hartford,  where  he  won  in 
2:24-  At  Springfield  he  was  unplaced  to  Soudan,  and  after 
trotting  second  to  Scramble  at  New  York  he  was  dropped. 
During  the  season  James  H.  Goldsmith  also  drove 
Onie  D.  at  Buffalo,  where  she  was  unplaced  to  Dallas, 
Marendes  at  Hartford,  where  he  was  distanced  by 
Dallas,  Captain  Lyons  at  Springfield,  where  he  was 
third  to  Chelsea  D.,  and  the  Happy  Medium  mare, 
Camille,  at  Poughkeepsie,  where  she  was  unplaced  in 
the  ten-heat  .race  won  by  Stevie,  and  at  New  York, 
where  she  was  fourth  to  Diamond.  In  1890,  James  H. 
Goldsmith  started  sixteen  horses  in  ninety-four  races, 
of  which  he  won  forty,  was  second  in  twenty,  third 
in  ten,  fourth  in  nine  and  unplaced  in  fifteen,  a  synop- 
sis of  the  season's  work  being  presented  in  the  follow- 
ing table : 


T3 

•o 

JS 

•8 

Starters. 

§ 

Sire. 

fi 

cS 

1 

c 
c 
0 

.1 
3 

p 

0 

£ 
"a 

Amount 
Won. 

tf 

V) 

s 

w 

H 

h 

P 

Pamlico  

2:16% 

Meander  

12 

7 

3 

2 

$8800  00 

Mambrino  Maid.. 

2:17% 

Mambrino  Startle  

14 

8 

5 

i 



7,285  00 

Simmocolon  

2:19 

Simmons  

12 

9 

1 

1 

1 



7,085  00 

Dawson         

2:19# 

Mansfield  

8 

(i 

1 

i 

3,200  00 

Richmond,  Jr  

2:21^ 

A.  W.  Richmond  

11 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

2,285  00 

Mamie  Woods  

2:20^ 

Wood's  Hambletonian 

6 

3 

1 

2 

2,200  00 

Frank  T 

2-2314 

Hill's  Duroc 

3 

2 

1 

1  000  00 

Robert  M   Taylor 

2-24 

Alcantara 

9 

1 

9 

1 

5 

900  00 

Plush 

°-i9%; 

Masterlode 

7 

1 

s 

1 

1 

1 

590  00 

Miss  Pawley  (p) 

2-27  # 

Bay  Hawk 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

390  00 

Captain  Lyons      i 

Sweepstakes      .... 

1 

1 

225  00 

Gretna 

2:27%: 

Mambrino  Dudley  . 

2 

2 

175  00 

Camille 

Happy  Medium  

2 

1 

1 

150  00 

Stephanie  

Meander  

1 

1 

75  00 

Marendes  (p) 

Walker  Morrill 

1 

1 

Onie  D    (p) 

Warwick  Boy 

1 

1 

Total  

94 

40 

20 

10 

9 

15 

$34,360"  00 

228  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

1891— MAMBRINO  MAID. 


She  was  a  self-willed  hussy, 
A  big  bay  splattered  with  white; 
But  when  the  bell  rang  for  the  races, 
She  was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight. 

During  the  winter  months  James  H.  Goldsmith,  to 
all  appearances,  recovered  from  the  attack  that  pros- 
trated him  at  Lexington  in  October,  and  when  the 
buds  began  to  open  he  shipped  his  stable  to  Charter 
Oak  Park,  Hartford,  where,  during  May  and  June,  he 
was  busy  as  a  b'ee  preparing  Mambrino  Maid,  Gean 
Smith,  Miss  Alice,  Leicester,  Redmont,  Robin  and  a 
number  of  others  for  an  active  campaign.  The  first 
starts  were  made  at  Charter  Oak,  the  last  week  in 
June,  the  report  of  the  meeting  showing  that  Miss 
Alice  won  the  2:19  class,  distancing  the  field  in  the 
fourth  heat  with  a  mile  in  2:17^4,  and  that  Redmont 
won  the  2:33  class.  Mambrino  Maid  was  second  to 
Rosaline  Wilkes  in  the  free-for-all,  Amender  second 
to  Lightning,  after  winning  a  heat  in  2:25^,  while 
Carrie  Walton,  Richmond,  Jr.,  Riverside  and  Sher- 
wood were  numbered  among  those  who  "also  ran." 
The  Goldsmith  stable  made  twelve  starts  at  the  Phila- 
delphia Driving  Park  and  Belmont  Park  July  meet- 
ings and  won  two  races  with  the  pacer,  Robin,  by 
Vatican,  while  Miss  Alice  and  Leicester  had  each  a 
first  placed  to  their  credit.  Of  the  other  members  of 
the  stable,  Redmont  was  third  to  Sappho  and  unplaced 
to  Fanny  Wilcox,  Richmond,  Jr.,  second  to  Maud 
Muller,  Riverside  fourth  to  J.  J.  Audubon,  and  Sher- 
wood, Carrie  Walton,  Patience  and  Delaware  Boy  un- 
placed. 


1891  — MAMBRINO    MAID.  229 

When  the  bell  tapped  for  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Grand  Circuit  in  1891  at  Homewood  Park,  Pittsburg, 
James  H.  Goldsmith  was  ready  for  the  word.  He 
won  during  the  week  with  Leicester  and  Redmont, 
giving  the  latter  a  record  of  2:21,  the  same  notch  in 
which  he  marked  his  sire,  Atlantic.  Of  the  other 
starters,  Gean  Smith  was  third  to  McDoel,  while 
Robin  and  Carrie  Walton  were  unplaced.  Leicester 
won  again  at  Detroit,  where  Mambrino  Maid  trotted 
the  best  race  of  her  career  when  she  defeated  Ripple, 
Vic  H.,  Walter  E.,  Almont  and  Reference  in  the  2:17 
class,  making  her  record  of  2:15^4  in  a  fourth  heat, 
and  which  is,  by  the  way,  the  fastest  mile  James  H. 
Goldsmith  ever  rode  in  public  behind  a  trotter. 
Robin  won  a  heat  in  the  2  124  pace  and  finished  third 
to  Ivorine,  while  Richmond,  Jr.,  was  also  third  to  the 
Sam  Purdy  gelding,  Charley  C,  and  Gean  Smith  un- 
placed in  the  free-for-all,  which  Turner  won  with 
Rosaline  Wilkes. 

Leicester  and  Temple  Bar,  the  Merchant  and 
Manufacturer's  Stake  winner,  met  at  Cleveland  the 
following  week.  Up  to  that  meeting  Goldsmith  had 
not  lost  a  race  with  Leicester,  while  Temple  Bar  had 
won  seven  firsts  out  of  eight  starts  in  the  preceding 
seven  weeks.  Goldsmith's  horse  was  the  favorite, 
and  won  the  first  two  heats  in  2:18,  2:17^, 
After  the  second  heat  the  judges  were  convinced  that 
Temple  Bar  was  not  being  driven  to  win,  and  when 
Aline  won  the  third  heat  in  2:20^,  after  Leices- 
ter stopped  in  the  stretch,  they  turned  the 
black  horse  over  to  Gus  Wilson,  who  went  on  and 
won  as  he  pleased.  Upon  the  conclusion  of  the  race, 
Temple  Bar,  his  owner  and  driver,  were  expelled,  and 


230 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


others  would  no  doubt  have  followed  had  not  the 
grave  closed  over  one  of  the  principal  actors  in  the 
transaction  before  it  was  investigated  by  the  Board  of 
Review  of  The  National  Trotting  Association.  Gold- 
smith also  won  the  2:17  class  at  Cleveland  with 
Mambrino  Maid,  and  was  unplaced  to  Lakewood 
Prince  with  Redmont.  His  stable  made  its  last  starts 
at  Buffalo  the  following  week,  when  Robin,  Rich- 
mond, Jr.,  and  Crawford  were  unplaced  and  Leicester 
fourth  to  Sprague  Golddust,  the  deciding  heat  in  the 
race  being  the  last  one  driven  by  James  H.  Goldsmith. 
The  following  table  presents  the  returns  for  his  stable 
up  to  the  close  of  the  Buffalo  meeting : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

oS 
W 

03 

£ 

Second. 

Third. 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

2-17% 

5 

3 

1 

1 

$2500  00 

Mambrino  Maid.. 
Redmont  

2:15^ 
2:21 
2-1714: 

Mambrino  Startle  .... 
Atlantic  
Alcantara 

3 
4 
2 

2 

2 
2 

1 

.... 

2 

2,150  00 

875  00 
850  00 

Patience 

Alcyone 

1 

1 

800  00 

Robin        

2:20  1/ 

Vatican  

5 

2 

1 

2 

800  00 

Richmond,  Jr  
Gean  Smith 

2:20-K 

A.  W.  Richmond  
Dauntless            

4 
2 

1 

1 
1 

2 

1 

450  00 
450  00 

Amender  
Carrie  Walton 

2:25^ 

Meander  

1 

s 

1 

3 

15000 

Favorite  Wilkes 

1 

1 

Delaware  Boy 

1 

1 

Barkis 

2 

?, 

Total  

34 

11 

4 

3 

1 

15 

$9,02500 

DEATH   OF   JAMES   H.    GOLDSMITH.  231 

DEATH  OF  JAMES  H.  GOLDSMITH. 


They  have  laid  away  the  cherry  and  black, 
Its  owner  is  under  the  sod; 
His  doings  are  stretched  on  memory's  rack, 
And  his  spirit  flown  to  his  God. 

After  the  Buffalo  meeting,  James  H.  Goldsmith 
was  taken  back  to  his  Orange  County  home,  where  he 
died  on  Thursday,  August  27.  When  he  left  the  Iro- 
quois  he  looked  thin,  careworn  and  gray,  sickness  hav- 
ing made  him  prematurely  old,  but  few  of  those 
who  waved  him  off  as  the  carriage  turned  the  .corner 
thought  that  the  parting  was  the  last  on  this  side  of 
the  grave.  His  physician  vetoed  any  more  work  in 
the  sulky,  after  he  insisted  on  driving  Leicester  in  the 
deciding  heat  of  the  race  won  by  Sprague  Golddust, 
and  as  it  proved  that  occasion  was  the  last  on  which 
he  donned  the  cherry  and  black  cap  and  jacket. 

Death  found  him  at  the  house  in  which  he  was 
born,  on  June  I5,i849;the  most  momentous  year  in  the 
history  of  the  trotting  turf;  at  the  home  where  he  spent 
his  childhood  among  the  Volunteer  colts  which  he 
afterwards  helped  to  make  famous.  It  found  him 
where  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  where  he  brought 
home  his  bride,  and  saw  fortune  smile  in  on  him  with 
passing  years.  Far  away  from  the  scenes  where  he 
played  so  prominent  a  part,  a  modest  stone  marks  his 
resting  place  in  the  family  plot  at  Washingtonville,  N. 
Y.,  and  as  the  companions  of  his  youth  point  out  the 
mound  to  a  stranger,  can  other  than  Gray's  memor- 
able line  come  to  mind : 

"The  paths  to  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave." 

In  his  particular  field  Goldsmith  had  all  that  fame 
could  give.  His  skill  as  a  reinsman  and  a  conditioner 


232  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

placed  him  early  in  the  front  rank,  and  during  the  last 
three  years  of  his  life  he  was  recognized  as  great,  if 
not  the  greatest,  of  all  trotting  horse  drivers.  Above 
all  things,  he  was  ambitious  and  proud  of  his  reputa- 
tion, and  it  was  that  vaunting  ambition  which  has 
rushed  others  to  their  doom  that  carried  James  H. 
Goldsmith  to  his  grave  at  forty-two.  Nervous  pros- 
tration and  paralysis  did  their  part,  and  a  determina- 
tion to  go  on  defying  death  played  the  hand  on  which 
his  life  was  the  stake. 

In  or  out  of  the  sulky,  James  H.  Goldsmith  was 
always  a  gentleman,  his  polished  manners  and  agree- 
able address  making  a  favorable  impression  wherever 
he  appeared.  As  a  trainer,  well  Andy  Welch  summed 
it  all  up  when  he  said :  "Goldsmith  could  make  them 
race  and  win  without  killing  them."  His  success  in 
the  sulky  can  be  attributed  to  perseverance,  patience 
and  firmness,  allied  with  an  intuitive  knowledge  of 
horses  and  their  peculiarities.  His  seat  was  not  as 
graceful  as  Doble's  or  Hickok's,  as  he  leaned  further 
forward,  an  attitude  which  did  not  come  from  using  a 
higher  seat,  but  from  the  fact  that  he  was  a  taller 
man.  This  stoop  brought  him  nearer  his  horse  and 
gave  him  a  greater  leverage  when  he  was  driving  a 
shifty-gaited  one  or  a  bad  actor.  In  his  finishes  he 
combined  the  meteoric  rallying  powers  for  which 
Splan  was  noted  in  his  best  days,  with  Doble's  cata- 
pult drives.  With  a  yell  like  a  Sioux  and  a  hand  as 
firm  as  a  rock,  Splan  rustled  his  nag  along  panting, 
flinging,  banging  and  literally  lifting  him  under  the 
wire,  while  Doble,  with  an  eye  to  what  was  going  on 
about  him,  waited  patiently  for  the  last  brush  and 
called  for  it  at  the  point  where  the  money  is  won. 


DEATH   OF   JAMES   H.    GOLDSMITH. 


233 


His  horse  might  not  win,  but  it  always  managed  to 
carry  his  clip  to  the  wire.  Goldsmith  united  this  reef 
of  the  "Field  Marshal"  with  Splan's  electrical  flourish, 
seeing,  feeling  and  knowing  only  one  thing  until  the 
wire  was  passed,  and  that  he  proved  an  industrious 
man  is  demonstrated  by  the  following  table,  which 
shows  that  during  the  sixteen  years  he  was  before  the 
public  as  a  private  and  public  trainer  he  started  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  horses  in  one  thousand  and 
twenty-three  races,  of  which  he  won  three  hundred  and 
seven,  was  second  in  two  hundred  and  forty-five,  third 
in  one  hundred  and  fifty-one,  fourth  in  one  hundred 
and  twenty-six  and  unplaced  in  one  hundred  and 
ninety-four,  winning  premiums,  and  that  at  a  time 
during  the  era  of  small  purses,  amounting  to 
$239,115.08. 


Year. 

Starters. 

09 

4.1 

a 
w 

i 

£ 

Second. 

1 

EH 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

1875 

8 

61 

15 

13 

7 

17 

19 

$  14,480.00 

1876 

9 

84 

16 

24 

12 

15 

17 

17,787.50 

1877 

10 

97 

31 

24 

14 

12   . 

16 

18,535.00 

1878 

14 

111 

30 

27 

16 

13 

25 

16,212..  50 

1879 

10 

50 

13 

11 

7 

10 

9 

12,960.00 

1881 

8 

71 

10 

19 

14 

15 

13 

11,455.00 

1882 

8 

82 

25 

16 

16 

9 

16 

22,268.33 

1883 

4 

28 

7 

6 

6 

4 

5 

2,769.50 

1884 

4 

26 

10 

4 

5 

2 

5 

5,252.50 

1885 

8 

31 

12 

7 

4 

4 

4 

6,330.00 

1886 

6 

57 

19 

15 

14 

4 

5 

5,787.50 

1887 

3 

22 

14 

4 

2 

2 

8,921.00 

1888 

16 

87 

28 

29 

11 

8 

11 

23,113.75 

1889 

19 

88 

26 

22 

10 

13 

17 

29,857.50 

1890 

16 

94 

40 

20 

10 

9 

15 

34,360.00 

1891 

13 

34 

11 

4 

3 

1 

15 

9,025.00 

Totals. 

156 

1023 

307 

245 

151 

126 

194 

$239,115.08 

234  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1881— JOHN  GOLDSMITH  GOES  WEST. 


Go   west,   young  man!   go   west.—Greeley. 

When  St.  Julien  reduced  the  world's  record  to 
2:12^4  at  Oakland,  on  October  25,  1879,  the  breeders 
of  the  Pacific  coast  decided  that  a  little  Volunteer 
blood  would  add  materially  to  the  speed  and  stamina 
of  the  stock  descended  from  the  horses  which  were  led 
across  the  plains  by  the  forty-niners.  Prior  to  this 
date  Admiral  was  purchased  in  Orange  County  and 
taken  to  Nevada,  while  either  that  year  or  early  in  the 
following  one,  Monroe  Salisbury  visited  Walnut 
Grove  Farm  and  purchased  the  Volunteer  mares, 
Sweetness  and  Kate,  sister  to  Powers,  as  well  as  May 
Day,  2 130,  by  Ballard's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.  Bate- 
man  was  also  sold  and  taken  to  California,  where  he 
was  raced  during  the  season  of  1880,  but  did  not  have 
sufficient  speed  to  lower  the  colors  of  Brigadier  and 
Abbottsford. 

In  1881,  when  James  H.  Goldsmith  was  reinstated 
by  The  National  Trotting  Association,  his  younger 
brother  decided  to  take  Horace  Greeley's  advice  and 
"go  west."  In  September  of  that  year  he  was  at  Oak- 
land, Cal.,  where  he  won  a  four-year-old  race  with 
Romero  over  Alexander  Button,  Honesty  and  Annie 
Laurie,  giving  him  a  record  of  2  :22^  in  a  fourth  heat. 
He  also  won  in  the  same  meeting  with  Gibralter, 
while  after  his  races  with  Bateman  he  had  a  third  to 
Brigadier  and  a  fourth  to  Abbottsford  to  show  for  his 
labor.  Brigadier  also  defeated  the  Clay  gelding  at 
Santa  Rosa  and  Stockton,  where  Romero  won  again. 
Bateman's  last  start  was  made  at  Salt  Lake  City, 


1 882 — SWEETNESS. 


235 


Utah,  October  15,  1881,  in  a  match  race  with  Ewing. 
He  won  it  for  Mr.  Travis  without  beating  2  130,  but  his 
failure  to  win  in  the  regular  events  in  California  made 
John  Goldsmith's  winnings  for  1881  rather  slim,  as 
will  be  seen  by  the  following  table : 


•d 

•d 

^3 

o 

Starters. 

§ 

Sire. 

tj 

•H 

2 

'& 

9 
O 

a 

Amount 
Won. 

tf 

W2 

fe 

w 

H 

Bateman  

Black  Harry  Clay  

4 

1 

1 

2 

$1,000  00 

Romero  

2:22^ 

A.  W.  Richmond  

2 

2 

800  00 

Gibralter 

2-22  }4 

Echo                           .  .. 

1 

1 

375  00 

Total 

_ 

4 

1 

2 

$2,175  00 

1882— SWEETNESS. 


Whenever  you  see  a  race  horse 
That  can  go  fast  and  far, 
You   will   find   a   line   to   Volunteer, 
Or  a  cross  of  American  Star. 

When  Monroe  Salisbury  returned  to  California 
with  Director  and  his  Walnut  Grove  Farm  purchases 
he  bred  Sweetness  to  Santa  Claus  and  Kate  to  Nut- 
wood. In  1881  the  former  produced  Sidney  and  the 
latter  Judge  Salisbury,  both  of  which  proved  sires  of 
speed,  Sidney  at  one  time  being  very  much  in  vogue 
on  account  of  the  record-breaking  speed  of  his  colts. 
Kate's  next  foal  was  a  bay  colt  by  Brigadier.  He  was 
gelded  and  appears  in  the  records  as  Homestake, 
2:1454.  May  Day  also,  at  a  later  date,  produced  Mar- 
garet S.,  2:12^2.  As  Sweetness  did  not  prove  in  foal 
in  1882,  she  was  taken  up  and  trained,  Monroe  Salis- 
bury placing  her  and  Director  in  John  Goldsmith's 


236 


THE   GOLDSMITHS 


stable.  He  started  her  over  the  Bay  District  track 
in  two  races  in  August,  winning  one  and  finishing 
second  to  Crown  Point  in  the  other.  He  also  started 
her  in  two  races  in  September,  the  first  one  being  at 
Oakland,  where  he  won  two  heats  in  2:22,  2:24^2,  but 
was  distanced  in  a  fifth  heat  by  Alfred  W.  This  pair 
met  again  the  following  week  at  Sacramento,  where 
Sweetness  won  in  2:24,-  2:21^4,  2:22^,  her  record 
being  made  in  the  second  heat.  Director  made  his 
first  start  for  John  Goldsmith  at  Santa  Rosa,  where  he 
finished  third  to  Echora,  Del  Stir  being  between  him 
and  the  winner.  From  that  date,  however,  he  had  his 
winning  shoes  on,  as  he  was  awarded  first  pre- 
miums at  Oakland,  Sacramento,  Stockton  and  San 
Jose,  and  closed  the  season  with  a  record  of  2:23^. 
While  on  the  trip,  John  Goldsmith  finished  second 
to  Albert  W.  at  Santa  Rosa  with  Inca,  made 
Corette  step  in  2:20,  2:19,  2:21*4,  to  defeat  Gibralter 
at  Oakland,  gave  Romero  his  record  of  2  119^,  when  he 
won  over  Brigadier  and  Starr  King  at  Stockton,  after 
trotting  second  to  the  Happy  Medium  horse  at  the 
State  Fair.  The  following  is  a  synopsis  of  the  sea- 
son's work : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

•+J 

| 

PH 

Second. 

.1 

3 
h 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Director              .   . 

2:23^ 

Dictator 

5 

4 

1 

$1,935  00 

Romero  

2:ldl/2 

A.  W.  Richmond 

3 

1 

2 

1,050  00 

Sweetness    

2;21# 

Volunteer           .   . 

4 

2 

1 

1 

775  00 

Gibralter  

Echo  

1 

1 

200  00 

Inca 

2:27 

Woodford  Mambrino 

1 

1 

125  00 

Total 

14 

7 

5 

1 

1 

$4,085  00 

JOHN     ALDEN    GOLDSMITH. 


1883— DIRECTOR.  239 

1883— DIRECTOR. 

He  was  foaled  in  old  Kentucky, 
Eat  the  blue  grass  of  Kentucky, 
And  any  horse  was  lucky 
Which  from  him  won  a  race. 
By  Dictator,  out  of  Dolly, 
Sired  Directum  and  Direct, 
Margaret  S.  and  Lena  Holly, 
Evangeline,  all  elect, 
And  winners  on  a  trot  or  pace. 

The  form  shown  by  Director  in  his  five  races  in  the 
fall  of  1882  convinced  Monroe  Salisbury  and  John 
Goldsmith  that  he  was  too  good  a  horse  to  remain  idle 
in  California  while  the  trotters  were  busy  on  the  East- 
ern tracks.  Both  of  them  were  satisfied  that  he  had 
speed  enough  to  win  in  any  company,  and  in  order  to 
put  their  belief  to  the  test  they  made  arrangements 
during  the  winter  months  to  cross  the  mountains  with 
the  two  stallions,  Director  and  Romero.  The  first 
start  was  made  at  Chester  Park,  Cincinnati,  on  May 
24,  when  Romero,  after  winning  a  heat  in  2:25,  was 
beaten  by  Deck  Wright.  Director  made  his  bow  at 
Pittsburg  on  June  I  in  a  race  with  Hambletonian 
Bashaw,  Alta,  Wilbur  F.  and  Willis  Woods.  The  first 
two  heats  went  to  Hambletonian  Bashaw  in  2:25, 
2:25^,  and  when  it  looked  that  the  race  was  all  over 
but  the  shouting,  Goldsmith  loomed  up  with  Director 
and  won  an  old-fashioned  race  in  2  126,  2  128,  2  126. 

At  Hartford,  June  13,  the  Goldsmith  brothers  met 
in  a  race,  James  being  behind  Walnut,  while  John  had 
Director,  the  other  competitors  being  Dan  Smith,  Cor- 
nelia and  Kentucky  Wilkes.  The  first  heat  went  to 
Dan  Smith  in  2:22^2  and  the  second  to  Walnut  in 


240  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

2:22^.  Dan  Smith  scored  again  in  the  third  heat  in 
2:213/2,  but  the  balance  of  them  went  to  Director  in 
2:21^4,  2:22,  2:22^.  Director's  next  engagement 
was  at  the  June  meeting  of  the  Driving  Club  of  New 
York,  which  was  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  ever 
held  at  Fleetwood  Park,  the  keynote  having  been 
struck  the  week  before  by  W.  H.  Vanderbilt,  when  he 
drove  Maud  S.  and  Aldine  to  an  ordinary  froad  wagon 
in  2:15^/2.  John  Goldsmith  was  also  anxious  to  win 
at  Fleetwood,  as  he  had  made  his  professional  debut 
on  that  track,  and  there  was  a  delegation  from  Orange 
County  on  the  grounds  to  see  Director  perform  in  his 
race  with  Buzz  Medium,  J.  P.  Morris,  Joe  Bunker  and 
Helen.  The  first  heat  went  to  Joe  Bunker  in  2:19^, 
Director  finishing  third.  Joe  Bunker  also  won  the 
second  heat  in  2  :2O,  Buzz  Medium  and  Director  trot- 
ting a  dead  heat  for  the  place.  In  the  third  heat  Di- 
rector cut  off  Joe  Bunker  on  the  turn,  causing  him  to 
break.  Director  won  the  heat  in  2  122.  It  only  delayed 
the  decision,  however,  as  the  Wilkes  gelding  carried 
Director  to  the  half  in  the  fourth  heat  in  i  :o8^,  forced 
him  to  break,  and  won  by  half  a  length  in  2:19%. 
Romero  was  started  in  the  2:19  class  at  this  meeting 
and  finished  third  to  Captain  Emmons.  There  was 
also  plenty  of  excitement  on  the  last  day  of  the  meet- 
ing, when  Majolica,  in  the  three-minute  class,  trotted 
a  third  heat  in  2:17,  defeating  Phallas  and  Jay  Eye 
See,  won  the  four-year-old  race,  in  which  Phil  Thomp- 
son and  Lucy  Gernent  fell  in  the  deciding  heat. 

After  defeating  Cornelia  and  Walnut  at  Albany, 
Director  was  shipped  to  Chicago,  where  he  won  two 
races  and  reduced  his  record  to  2:191/2  in  the  $3,000 
stallion  race,  in  which  he  defeated  Monroe  Chief, 


1883  -  DIRECTOR  241 

Black  Cloud,  France's  Alexander  and  Santa  Claus. 
Director  made  his  record  at  Cleveland,  on  August  I. 
He  started  there  against  Kate  McCall,  Gladiator,  Tony 
Newell  and  Wilson  and  won  the  first  heat  in  2:19^, 
Tony  Newell  being  distanced  and  Wilson  laid  up. 
On  the  next  trip  Splan  stepped  Wilson  down  to  the 
half  in  I  109^  and  was  still  leading  at  the  distance, 
Director  being  at  his  neck  as  the  pair  flashed  by  the 
flagman.  The  Wilkes  gelding  wavered  under  the 
strain  and  broke  into  a  scrambling  run.  As  he  did, 
Goldsmith  touched  Director  with  the  whip  and  he  left 
his  feet.  The  pair  ran  under  the  wire  and  the  judges 
called  it  a  dead  heat  in  2:17.  Wilson  won  the  third 
heat  in  2:16*4  by  two  lengths,  .and  also  finished  in 
front  in  the  fourth  heat,  but  as  he  was  on  a  break,  it 
was  counted  for  Director  in  2:17^4.  In  the  fifth  heat 
Splan  started  to  make  a  runaway  race  of  it,  and 
after  sprinting  with  Gladiator  to  the  half  in  I  107 24  won 
the  heat  in  2:18.  The  effort  killed  Wilson,  as  when 
the  non-heat  winners  were  ruled  out,  Director  had  to 
be  pulled  up  in  2  128^  to  let  him  inside  the  distance. 

Director's  next  engagement  was  in  a  race  for  five- 
year-olds  and  under  at  Buffalo  with  Jay  Eye  See  and 
Clemmie  G.,  the  Director  gelding  winning,  after 
Goldsmith  had  won  a  heat  in  2:22.  After  defeating 
Duquesne  in  straight  heats  at  Utica  and  trotting  third 
to  Wilson  at  Springfield,  Director  was  shipped  to 
H-artford,  where  he  was  started  in  the  first  $10,000 
Charter  Oak  Stake  with  Fanny  Witherspoon,  Wilson, 
Clemmie  G.,  Phallas,  J.  B.  Thomas,  Adele  Gould  and 
Overman.  Wilson  was  the  favorite,  and  Mace  won 
the  first  heat  with  him  in  2:17^.  In  the  second  heat 
Director  carried  Wilson  away  so  fast  that  he  made  a 


242  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

double  break  near  the  half.  The  second  time  he  left 
his  feet  Mace  bore  out,  giving  Splan  a  chance  to  slip 
through  at  the  pole  with  Fanny  Witherspoon,  and  at 
the  same  time  carried  Director  wide  on  the  upper 
turn.  The  manoeuver  gave  Fanny  Witherspoon  the 
heat  in  2:17,  with  Clemmie  G.  second  and  J".  B- 
Thomas  third.  In  the  third  heat  Director  rushed  off 
in  front  and  was  never  headed  during  the  balance  of 
the  race,  his  three  winning  heats  being  finished  in 
2:20,  2:18,  2:19^4.  Both  Wilson  and  Fanny  Wither- 
spoon made  a  number  of  breaks,  while  the  balance  of 
the  field  could  not  trot  fast  enough  to  reach  Director. 

After  winning  a  $5,000  race  over  Forest  Patchen, 
Phyllis,  Clemmie  G.,  Josephus,  Wilson  and  Modoc  at 
Narragansett  Park,  Providence,  on  September  12, 
Director  was  started  in  a  stallion  race  for  a  similar 
amount  at  Beacon  Park  against  Phallas  and  Santa 
Claus.  Two  breaks  cost  him  the  first  heat,  Phallas 
winning  it  in  2 :2O.  In  the  second,  Either  caught 
Goldsmith  napping  at  the  finish  and  won  by  a  nose  in 
2:22^.  In  the  third  Phallas  had  a  comfortable  lead 
when  he  reached  the  upper  turn,  where  he  was  seen  to 
stop  and  almost  fall.  Director  and  Santa  Claus 
passed  him,  the  former  winning  in  2:21^/2.  When 
Phallas  finished  it  was  learned  that  he  had  stepped  on 
a  boot  strap,  and  by  it  lost  the  heat  and  race,  as 
Director  then  went  on  and  won  in  2:20,  2:20^,  dis- 
tancing Santa  Claus. 

Director  trotted  his  last  race  at  Island  Park,  Al- 
bany, where  he  started  against  Phallas  and  Fanny 
Witherspoon,  and  won  the  first,  third  and  fourth  heats 
in  2:23,  2:23^4,  2:19^4,  the  second  heat,  in  2:22,  being 
placed  to  the  credit  of  Phallas.  During  the  campaign 


ELECTIONEER — GUY   WILKES. 


243 


John  Goldsmith  drove  Director  in  fifteen  races,  of 
which  he  won  twelve  and  was  second  in  three,  his 
winnings  amounting  to  $18,975.  Romero  was  not  so 
fortunate,  as  after  leaving  New  York,  where  he  was 
third  to  Captain  Emmons,  he  finished  second  to  Joe 
Bunker  at  Albany,  third  to  J.  B.  Thomas  at  Washing- 
ton, third  to  Clemmie  G.  at  Utica,  second  to  J.  B. 
Thomas  at  Providence,  fourth  to  Kentucky  Wilkes  at 
Boston,  and  was  unplaced  to  Phyllis  at  Buffalo.  The 
following  is  a  synopsis  of  the  season's  work : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

ri 

I 

to 

+j 

S2 
S 

Second. 

•g 

'J3 

H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

2-17 

Dictator 

15 

1? 

3 

$18,975  00 

Romero     

A.  W.  Richmond  

9 

8 

8 

1 

?, 

2,05500 

Total  

24 

12 

6 

8 

j 

2 

$21,030  00 

ELECTIONEER— GUY  WILKES. 


They  were   monarchs   of  all   they   surveyed, 

Tfieir  get  there  were  few  to  oppose; 

From  the  Rockies  to  the  Golden  Gate, 

They  were   winners   as    every   one   knows. 

—  With  apologies  to  Cowper. 

When  Leland  Stanford  visited  Stony  Ford  and 
purchased  Electioneer  to  cross  on  the  stock  at  Palo 
Alto  he  took  the  first  step  towards  making  California 
a  rival  of  New  York  and  Kentucky  as  the  home  of  the 
light  harness  horse.  It  is  true  that  he  had  had  trot- 
ters, stallions  and  brood  mares  prior  to  the  date  on 
which  he  made  his  momentous  trip  to  Orange  County 


244  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

and  that  others  had  bred  a  number  of  horses  which  had 
won  honors  not  only  on  the  Pacific  Coast  but  also  on 
the  Eastern  tracks,  but  their  greatest  achievements 
look  dim  when  compared  with  what  was  done  by  the 
Palo  Alto  trotters  and  those  who  strove  to  check  their 
tide  of  victory.  At  the  time  Leland  Stanford  pur- 
chased Electioneer,  William  Corbett,  a  thrifty  Cana- 
dian who  had  amassed  a  fortune  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness in  San  Francisco,  owned  the  stallions  Irvington 
and  Arthurton,  own  brothers  by  Hambletonian  out  of 
the  American  Star  mare,  Imogene,  that  afterwards 
produced  Leland,  and  was  breeding  in  a  small  way  at 
San  Mateo. 

Electioneer's  first  crop  of  foals  in  California  was 
dropped  in  1878,  the  colt  trotter,  Fred  Crocker,  being 
in  the  bunch.  The  Arthurton  foals  for  that  year  also 
contained  Arab  and  Joe  Arthurton.  As  for  Irvington, 
he  was  sold  and  exported  to  Australia  where  he  sired 
the  dam  of  the  pacer,  Ribbonwood,  2. 109,  while  his 
owner  having  seen  and  heard  of  the  triumphs  of  the 
Dictator  and  George  Wilkes  trotters,  started  east  to 
purchase  a  representative  of  one  of  these  families  that 
was  well  bred,  had  a  record  or  could  make  one.  After 
making  overtures  to  purchase  Phallas  he  selected  Guy 
Wilkes,  a  bay  horse  foaled  in  1879  by  George  Wilkes, 
dam  Lady  Bunker  by  Mambrino  Patchen,  second  dam 
Lady  Dunn,  the  Seely's  American  Star  mare  that  also 
produced  Joe  Bunker,  2:19^,  the  gray  gelding  which 
defeated  Director  at  New  York  and  Romero  at  Albany 
in  1883.  Lady  Dunn  and  Flora  Gardiner  were,  so  far 
as  I  know,  the  only  mares  by  Seely's  American  Star 
that  were  bred  to  Mambrino  horses.  The  last  named 
produced  Guy  2:09^4  and  Fred  Folger  2:20^4,  the 


GEORGE  WILKES.  245 

only  two  of  her  foals  broken  to  harness,  and  Lady 
Dunn  is  now  referred  to  as  the  dam  of  Joe  Bunker 
2:19*4,  and  Lady  Bunker  the  dam  of  Guy  Wilkes 
2:15^4,  El  Mahdi  2:25^/2,  William  L.  and  Declara- 
tion all  four  sires  of  speed. 


GEORGE  WILKES. 


He  was  the  greatest  Roman  of  them  all. 

— Shakespeare. 

Lady  Dunn's  fame  is  linked  with  that  of  George 
Wilkes  whose  early  days  in  Orange  County  and  on 
Long  Island,  as  graphically  sketched  in  1864  by 
Charles  J.  Foster,  cannot  be  other  than  acceptable  to 
the  present  generation  of  readers,  as  at  the  close  of 
1902  seven  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty  trotters 
or  pacers  out  of  eighteen  thousand  five  hundred  and 
forty-seven  trotters  and  nine  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  thirteen  pacers  carry  a  strain  of  his  blood :  - 

"George  Wilkes  is  a  brown  horse,  with  one  white 
heel.  He  stands  about  fifteen  hands,  is  broad  and 
strong,  as  well  as  low  and  long,  and  is  remarkably 
high  behind.  His  propelling  power  is  very  great,  no 
living  horse  exceeding  him  in  this  grand  character- 
istic. The  dam  of  George  Wilkes  was  a  brown  mare 
called  Dolly  Spanker.  It  is  said  that  she  was  by 
Mambrino.  This  mare  was  brown,  like  her  son,  and 
stood  about  fifteen  two.  He  is  the  only  foal  she  ever 
had.  She  belonged  at  Rochester,  where  she  was 


246  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

owned  by  Joseph  Lewis,  who  sold  her  to  William  A. 
Delevan,  a  member  of  the  circus  establishment  of 
Welsh  and  Delevan.  By  this  gentleman  the  brown 
mare  was  sold  to  Henry  D.  Felter,  of  New  York, 
whose  father,  Colonel  Felter,  of  Orange  County,  no 
sooner  saw  her  than  he  declared  she  would  make  a 
very  fine  brood-mare.  It  is  a  little  more  than  ten 
years  since  he  purchased  her  of  his  son  for  $375,  and 
took  her  to  Orange  County  to  be  bred  to  Hamble- 
tonian.  That  celebrated  horse  was  then  almost  un- 
known to  fame,  being  but  five  years  old.  Colonel 
Felter  and  his  son,  however,  joined  in  predicting  that 
he  would  in  due  time  be  as  renowned  as  his  sire,  Ab- 
dallah.  In  the  latter  part  of  May,  1855,  Dolly  Spanker 
was  bred  to  Hambletonian,  and  when  she  returned  to 
Colonel  Felter's  farm  she  was  pregnant  with  the 
greatest  and  fastest  heir  to  the  accumulated  fame  of 
the  Messengers.  The  wise  and  worthy  gentleman 
who  had  her  felt  a  presentiment,  while  she  was  big 
with  foal,  that  the  colt  would  be  a  world's  wonder, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  badinage  of  his  sons  and  neigh- 
bors, stuck  to  that  opinion,  even  when  the  colt  she 
dropped  was  a  weak  and  puny  thing.  A  misfortune, 
too,  now  happened  to  the  mother,  which  would  have 
shaken  the  faith  of  almost  any  other  man  than 
Colonel  Felter.  Before  the  colt  was  forty-eight 
hours  old  she  ruptured  herself,  and  could  not  suckle 
her  offspring.  The  Job's-comforters  now  declared  to 
Colonel  Felter  that  the  puny  little  colt  would  never 
be  worth  raising.  The  Colonel  replied,  with  some 
contempt,  that  he  had  the  stout  and  hardy  blood  of 
the  Messengers  and  Bellfounders  to  bring  him 
through,  and  that  he  would  raise  him  by  hand.  It 


GEORGE  WILKES.  247 

finally  appeared,  though  not  until  he  was  well  advanc- 
ed as  a  yearling,  that  the  colt  had  a  good  deal  of  the 
robust  qualities  which  distinguished  his  ancestors. 
Now,  then,  in  spite  of  the  discouragements  which  had 
attended  the  birth  of  the  colt,  Colonel  Felter  went  to 
raise  him  by  a  bottle.  From  the  first  he  had  his 
peculiarities,  and  with  a  judgment  that  many  would 
have  applauded  in  one  so  young,  he  refused  milk 
from  the  bottle  until  it  was  flavored  with  a  little  sugar 
and  a  good  dash  of  old  Jamaica  rum.  He  very  soon 
became  the  pet  of  the  family,  running  up  to  the  stoop 
at  the  whistle  of  the  Colonel  or  the  call  of  the  ladies, 
and  never  failing  to  kick  up  a  row  among  the  maids 
if  his  milk-punch  was  not  prepared  in  proper  season. 
But  he  was  still  no  beauty.  When  Henry  Felter 
went  up  to  see  him,  he  exclaimed,  as  the  colt  came  to 
his  father's  whistle,  "Oh,  what  a  head !" 

"Never  mind  his  head — he  ain't  going  to  trot  on 
his  head,"  said  the  Colonel.  "Look  at  his  hips  and 
haunches  and  thighs,  and  those  knees  and  shoulders." 

"Henry  Felter  had  to  acknowledge  that  the  colt 
possessed  great  motive  power,  and  that  his  traveling 
machinery,  in  spite  of  his  queer  look,  was  first-rate. 
He  noticed,  too,  that  coming  to  Colonel  Felter's 
whistle,  and  he  came  very  fast,  the  little  fellow  trotted 
square  and  fine,  having  apparently  no  notion  of  a  gal- 
lop. But  it  was  the  old  story  of  the  ugly  duck,  that  was 
pelted  by  the  fools  and  boys,  and  turned  out  finally 
to  be  a  swan.  When  the  colt  was  three,  Henry  Felter 
received  a  message  from  his  father,  saying  that  if  he 
would  come  up  home  he  would  see  something. 

"See  something,"  quoth  Harry:  "I  shall,  if  I  ain't 
struck  blind !"  But  next  day  he  started  for  the  home- 


248  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

stead.  The  something  to  be  seen  was  the  colt  in  a 
road-wagon.  The  father  and  son  got  in,  and  the  way 
the  punch-drinker  whirled  them  along  the  road  was  a 
caution  to  three-year-olds  and  nervous  gentlemen. 
Presently  he  struck  a  pace,  and  the  Colonel  laying  on 
the  whip,  they  almost  flew.  The  colt  was  in  truth  a 
natural  pacer  as  well  as  a  trotter,  and  when  suffered 
to  pace  he  was  nearly  as  swift  as  a  bird  on  the  wing. 
He  now  made  his  first  trot  in  public.  The  scene  of  it 
was  at  Washington  Hollow.  The  three-year-old  was 
matched  with  a  noted  trotter  for  a  dash  once  around 
the  course,  in  harness.  Colonel  Felter  drove  him. 
He  had  the  best  of  it  until  they  came  on  to  the 
stretch,  where  the  crowd  frightened  the  colt  and 
caused  him  to  break  almost  to  a  standstill.  The 
other  horse  got  a  lead  of  four  or  five  lengths ;  but 
now,  striking  his  trot  and  answering  the  whip  the 
brown  colt  made  a  tremendous  burst  of  speed,  col- 
lared his  opponent,  and  beat  him  at  the  post.  The 
rush  with  which  the  colt  had  darted  on  to  his  op- 
ponent, when  the  race  seemed  virtually  over,  sur- 
prised even  Colonel  Felter  himself,  and  the  majority 
of  the  lookers-on  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it. 

"Next  year  he  was  matched  with  Guy  Miller,  a 
good  one  of  Orange  County,  the  seed-plot  of  the  trot- 
ting horses.  While  it  was  pending,  Horace  F.  Jones 
drove  the  brown  colt  a  trial.  Assuring  Mr.  Felter 
that  he  could  win  the  match,  he  said  he  should  like 
to  train  him  for  it,  and  in  this  way  the  colt  was  first 
taken  to  Long  Island.  When  the  time  for  trotting 
the  match  was  near  at  hand,  Colonel  Felter  came 
down  and  found  he  could  not  trot  a  bit.  He  was  off, 
and  the  Colonel  paid  forfeit.  He  did  not,  however, 


GEORGE  WII.KES.  249 

take  the  colt  away,  but  sold  him  to  Jones  for  $3,000 
and  a  gray  mare  valued  at  $1,000.  Jones  afterwards 
sold  him  to  Z.  E.  Simmons.  This  was  in  the  fall  of 
1860. 

"Next  spring  there  was  much  talk  about  the  fast 
trotters  that  were  in  Jones'  stable  at  the  Union 
Course.  There  were  three  of  which  great  things 
were  expected.  In  regard  to  two  of  them  such  ex- 
pectations have  been  answered.  The  brown  stallion 
was  one,  the  bay  gelding,  Nutwood,  another ;  and 
from  these  two  first  proceeded  that  great  volume  of 
fame  for  their  sire,  Hambletonian,  which  has  since 
well-nigh  filled  the  land.  But  the  common  talk  then 
ran  upon  the  Alley  colt  (Dexter),  who  was  the  third 
in  the  stable.  It  was  generally  thought  that  this  was 
the  flyer  of  whom  Dame  Rumor  had  it  that  he  could 
trot  in  2.  m.  17  s.,  or  thereabout.  One  bright  May 
morning,  at  the  request  of  Z.  E.  Simmons,  I  met  him 
and  H.  D.  Felter  at  Jones'  stable.  The  Alley  colt 
was  shown  as  the  wonder;  but  upon  modestly  inti- 
mating an  opinion  to  Simmons  and  Jones  that  the 
brown  stallion  was  worth  about  a  field  full  of  such 
as  the  other,  they  confidentially  admitted  that  he  was 
the  real  "Simon  Pure."  He  was  just  then  shaping 
into  the  fine  horse  he  has  since  become,  and  showed 
quite  as  much  speed  in  rushes  as  he  has  ever  done 
since.  In  size,  make  and  shape,  as  well  as  color,  he 
resembled  the  illustrious  little  four-mile  horse, 
Whalebone,  who  forms,  with  his  sire,  Waxy,  the  great 
double  link  between  Eclipse  and  the  best  race  horses 
of  modern  times.  This  struck  me  the  moment  I  laid 
eyes  on  him.  There  was  more  stuff  in  him  than  in 
half  the  big  horses,  and  so  it  is  with  (Robert  Filling- 


250  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

ham)  George  Wilkes.  It  is  the  pulp  and  essence  of 
horseflesh  and  frame.  All  the  moving  parts  are  as 
big  as  those  in  a  horse  of  sixteen  hands,  and  there 
are  no  grossness  and  waste  to  be  carried. 

"Not  long  after  the  visit  to  the  Island  I  fell  in  with 
Pelham  John,  and  very  soon  discovered  that  there 
was  something  on  his  mind.  With  some  circumlocu- 
tion John  said  that  there  was  a  fast  colt  in  Jones' 
stable.  Remarking  that  I  had  heard  something  to 
that  effect,  I  began  to  dilate  upon  the  Alley  colt. 

"Tain't  him/  says  John,  in  a  mysterious  whisper, 
and  looking  around  to  be  sure  there  were  no  eaves- 
droppers. 'It's  the  stallion — he's  a  screamer.' 

"  'How  do  you  know?' ' 

1  'I  happened  over  at  the  Centreville  the  other 
morning  and  saw  the  stallion  to  a  road-wagon.1 

"'Well,  what  did  he  do?'" 

"  'He  beat  Columbia,  and  went  a  twenty-gait,  just 
as  sure  as  you're  born/ 

"In  a  few  days  it  came  to  Z.  E.  Simmons  that  Pel- 
ham  John  had  been  saying  the  colt  could  beat  any- 
thing on  the  Island,  and  he  asked  me  what  was  to  be 
done.  I  prescribed  the  remedy  that  had  brought  the 
colt  out  of  his  troubles,  a  course  of  milk-punches ;  and 
in  a  few  days  John  received  a  present  of  a  fine  milch- 
cow  and  a  demijohn  of  Jamaica  rum  from  the  owner, 
of  the  stallion. 

"His  first  trot  on  the  Island  came  off  that  year.  It 
was  with  Bellfounder  and  Abdallah  Chief.  Not  Jong 
before  the  time  of  trotting  Robert  Fillingham,  the 
name  that  he  carried  until  the  close  of  1864,  when  it 
was  changed  to  George  Wilkes,  was  taken  with  the 
distemper,  but,  as  it  was  thought  he  could  beat  the 


GEORGE  WILKES.  251 

others  very  handily,  it  was  resolved  to  start  him.  He 
won  it  with  ease,  not  being  called  upon  to  trot  much 
better  than  2:33*4.  His  next  race  was  the  $10,000 
match  with  Ethan  Allen.  I  had  now  begun  to  call 
often  upon  the  brown  stallion,  and  used  to  stand  on 
Cherry  Avenue,  at  the  Fashion  Course,  while  William 
Cunningham  led  him  up  and  down.  He  was  always 
an  eccentric  sort  of  a  horse,  and  he  used  to  plod  on 
with  a  lounging  walk  after  Cunningham,  much  as  a 
young  elephant  in  the  East  follows  his  mahout.  Like 
the  elephant,  too,  he  would  get  mad  at  times  and 
threaten  to  run  amuck.  I  have  said  that  when  a 
suckling  in  Orange  County  he  would  make  a  muss 
among  the  maids  if  his  milk-punch  was  not  provided 
at  the  proper  hour;  and  now  that  he  had  attained 
horse  estate,  he  made  nothing  of  summarily  pulling 
Bill  out  of  bed  when  the  hour  for  his  first  feed  ar- 
rived. He  began  by.  pulling  the  bed-clothes  from 
the  cot,  as  a  gentle  hint ;  and  if  that  was  not  speedily 
attended  to,  he  took  Bill  by  the  shirt  and  pulled  him 
on  to  the  floor.  t 

"The  trot  between  these  stallions,  one  the  ac- 
knowledged best  representative  of  the  Morgan  blood, 
and  the  other  a  promising  scion  of  the  great  Messen- 
ger strain,  took  place  on  the  Fashion  Course,  Septem- 
ber 10,  1862.  It  was  mile  heats,  best  three  in  five,  in 
harness,  for  $10,000.  Ethan  Allen  had  been  trained  by 
Mace,  and  looked  well.  Wilkes  had  received  unre- 
mitting attention  from  Horace  Jones,  and  came  on  in 
capital  condition.  The  concourse  of  people  was  im- 
mense. A  vast  number  of  gentlemen  had  come  from 
the  Eastern  States,  and  many  from  the  West  were 
also  in  attendance.  Most  of  these  held  to  the  notion 


252  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

that  Ethan  could  not  lose  it.  In  vain  I  expostulated 
and  told  personal  friends  that  the  brown  horse  would 
trot  right  over  him  in  the  last  half-mile.  It  was  of 
no  use.  It  was  an  infatuation,  a  sort  of  religion  with 
them,  that  the  beautiful  little  bay,  the  pride  of  New 
England,  could  not  be  beaten  by  the  horse  that 
trudged  lazily  along  behind  Bill  Cunningham  as  if  he 
was  lame  all  around.  'Oh,  what  a  walk !'  was  the  cry 
of  the  strangers,  and  I  dare  say  they  felt  somewhat 
disappointed,  for  the  truth  is  that  George  Wilkes  only 
shows  his  fine  points  when  going  fast.  You  must 
see  him  going  at  a  twenty-gait  to  appreciate  the  real 
beauty  of  that  marvelous  machinery.  But  though 
the  strangers  held  Ethan  in  high  favor,  New  York 
made  the  brown  stallion  the  leader  in  the  betting  at 
100  to  40.  Two  to  one  was  laid  that  Ethan  did  not 
win  a  heat.  It  so  turned  out.  Wilkes  won  it  in  three 
heats,  with  uncommon  ease.  Ethan  went  ahead 
each  heat  to  the  half-mile,  but  when  they  reached  the 
appletree  turn,  where  Wilkes  had  been  taught  to  pass 
the  running  horse,  Rube,  who  was  ridden  by  the  side 
of  him  at  his  work,  he  just  went  away  from  the  little 
bay  with  his  ears  pricked.  The  fastest  piece  of  trot- 
ting I  ever  saw,  I  think,  was  in  the  second  heat. 
There  is  a  little  descent  by  the  apple-trees,  and  here 
the  brown  horse  sent  out  his  long  thighs,  haunches, 
and  stifles  to  some  purpose.  It  was  like  the  rising  of 
a  camel — the  straightening  out  of  Doctor  Weldon's 
angles.  He  passed  Ethan  Allen  just  as  if  he  had  been 
hobbled.  Time  in  this  race  was  2:24%,  2:25^4,  2:31. 
The  winner  virtually  walked  over  in  the  last  heat. 
At  that  time  he  was  not  a  quick  beginner.  For 
steadiness  as  a  trotter  he  was  the  most  incomparable 


GEORGE  WILKES.  253 

horse  that  I  have  .ever  seen.  He  never  breaks  of  him- 
self, and  the  truth  is  that  he  can  trot  faster  than  he 
can  run,  and  faster  than  a  great  many  other  horses 
can  run. 

"A  match  was  now  made  between  the  stallion  and 
the  black  horse,  General  Butler,  the  latter  to  go  under 
saddle,  while  the  other  went  in  harness.  Butler  had 
come  very  fast  in  reputation  as  a  trotting  horse.  At 
one  time  nobody  but  George  Hopkins  believed  in 
him ;  but  when  he  defeated  Panic  and  Jilt  it  began  to 
be  thought  that  'the  contraband'  was  no  counterfeit 
at  least.  It  was  declared  by  Hopkins  that  his  strong 
point  was  under  saddle,  and  a  nice  little  party  got  up 
one  moonlight  night  to  see  him  put  through  a  trial, 
with  Socks,  the  runner,  by  his  side.  What  question 
they  asked  him  is  not  known,  but  it  must  have  been 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  for  Joe  Cocheron  was 
soon  after  heard  declaring  that  he  could  be  backed 
against  the  stallion.  I  had  always  before  that  taken 
'Uncle  Joe'  for  one  of  Caesar's  favorites — 'fat-headed 
men  who  sleep  o'  nights ;'  but  we  hear  that  he  was  as 
alert  as  anybody  on  this  noctural  but  interesting  oc- 
casion. Harry  Genet,  the  owner  of  Butler,  said  that 
his  horse  must  win.  'The  contraband'  was  at  the 
very  pitch  of  condition,  drawn  to  bone  and  sinew,  all 
the  weak  and  washy  particles  having  been  eliminated. 
Mace  rode  him,  and  never  rode  better;  Jones  drove 
the  stallion,  and  drove  him  well.  It  was  two  to  one 
on  Wilkes  at  the  start,  but  it  speedily  appeared  that 
'the  contraband'  was  a  magnificent  trotter.  He  took 
the  lead,  and  went  to  the  half-mile  in  i  :io,  with  a  lead 
of  five  or  six  lengths.  This  he  maintained  to  the  head 
of  the  stretch.  In  coming  home  the  stallion  made  a 


254  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

gallant  rush  and  shut  up  three  lengths  of  daylight,  but 
Butler  beat  him  to  the  post  in  2:21^.  The  stallion 
won  the  second  heat  in  2:24^4. 

"The  third  was  one  of  the  fastest  and  best-con- 
tested heats < ever  seen.  To  the  half-mile  there  never 
was  daylight  between  them,  although  Butler  was  a 
little  ahead.  Going  up  the  hill  he  stole  on  until  he 
led  by  two  lengths ;  but  now,  around  the  apple-tree 
turn,  Wilkes  closed  with  him  and  they  came  on  to  the 
stretch  together.  At  the  draw-gate  the  stallion  was 
a  neck  in  advance,  but  Mace  rallied  'the  contraband/ 
and  coming  with  a  rush  on  the  post,  won  it  by  half  a 
length;  the  time,  2:23.  The  fourth  heat  was  trotted 
in  the  dark,  Butler  winning  it. 

"The  next  matches  in  which  George  Wilkes  was 
engaged  were  with  Rockingham,  the  gray  gelding 
owned  by  John  Morrisey,  and  now  in  the  possession 
of  Commodore  Vanderbilt.  They  were  to  go  three 
races,  the  first  in  double  harness  with  a  running 
mate.  Wilkes  did  not  work  well  in  double  harness, 
and  they  paid  forfeit.  Mile  heats,  three  in  five,  in 
harness,  followed.  The  first  heat  was  won  by  Rock- 
ingham, for  the  stallion  made  a  break  at  the  begin- 
ning of  it;  the  time  was  2:28^4,  while  the  stallion 
trotted  the  last  half-mile  of  it  in  I'.n1/^.  Wilkes  won 
the  second  and  third  heats  in  2:27^,  2:28^4,  and  then 
Rockingham  was  drawn  with  a  bowed  tendon. 
George  Wilkes  was  now  removed  to  the  stable  of 
Hiram  Woodruff.  The  last  of  the  three  matches 
with  Rockingham  was  to  go  as  they  pleased.  The 
stallion  went  in  harness,  'Old  Blocks'  driving.  Rock- 
ingham was  under  saddle,  that  able  and  elegant 
young  rider,  Bud  Doble,  being  on  him.  The  stallion 


GEORGE   WIIyKES.  255 

won  it  with  ease  in  three  straight  heats — 2:243/2, 
2:27^,  2:32^.  The  gelding  had  'a  leg/  and  Hiram 
took  his  own  time." 

The  balance  of  the  races  in  which  George  Wilkes 
started  can  be  found  in  "Chester's  Complete 
Trotting  and  Pacing  Record."  As  for  the  pedi- 
gree of  George  Wilkes,  those  who  consult  the  colored 
prints  which  were  issued  when  he  was  racing,  will 
find  that  he  was  represented  as  being  by  Hamble- 
tonian,  dam  by  Mambrino.  In  the  seventies,  when 
he  was  becoming  famous  as  a  sire,  some  one  in  North- 
ern New  York  found  a  clue  to  the  breeding  of  Dolly 
Spanker  and  eventually  presented  evidence  to  show 
that  she  was  by  Henry  Clay,  dam  Telegraph,  by 
Baker's  .  Highlander.  This  pedigree  was  accepted 
and  appeared  in  the  "Trotting  Register"  until  after 
that  publication  was  transferred  to  the  "American 
Trotting  Register  Association,"  when  a  more  thor- 
ough investigation  showed  conclusively  that  Dolly 
Spanker  was  not  by  Henry  Clay,  and  now  the  breed- 
ing of  George  Wilkes,  the  founder  of  the  greatest 
family  of  trotters,  reads  "by  Hambletonian,  dam 
Dolly  Spanker,  breeding  unknown."  The  tendency  to 
pace  which  George  Wilkes  showed  as  a  colt,  and  which 
has  appeared  in  all  of  his  get  that  have  come 
under  my  observation,  came  without  a  doubt  through 
Dolly  Spanker,  and  if  her  breeding  is  ever  learned, 
it  will  no  doubt  be  found  that  like  Strathmore,  the 
only  other  pacer  that  I  ever  heard  of  by  Hamble- 
tonian, she  will,  like  Lady  Waltemire,  have  a  pacing 
cross  close  up.  Possibly  her  dam  may  have  been 
brought  on  from  the  West  by  drovers,  like  Shanghai 
Mary,  and,  like  her,  belonged  to  the  Cadmus  family, 
which  gave  the  turf  Smuggler  and  Pocahontas. 


256  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

DOLLY  SPANKER. 


Far  above  all  reward,  yet  to  which  all  is  due; 
And  this,  ye  great  unknown!  is  only  known  to  you. 

— Swift 

At  the  time  that  Dolly  Spanker's  pedigree  was 
thrown  out,  I  had  a  talk  with  Z.  E.  Simmons  on  the 
subject.  He  said:  "I  bought  George  Wilkes  when 
he  was  four  years  old,  in  1860,  from  Colonel  Felter. 
He  was  then  a  fast  colt,  and  when  the  sale  was  made, 
I  asked  the  breeding  of  the  dam 

'  'Oh,  I  don't  know  anything  about  her  breeding,' 
said  the  Colonel.  'They  called  her  a  Mambrino,  but 
you  know  her  anyway,  as  she  was  that  kicking  mare 
that  Harry  delivered  his  groceries  with.  Don't  you 
remember?'  he  continued.  'Well,  she  was  the  mare 
that  Van  Cott  cut  the  tail  off.  She  had  a  roan  stripe 
over  her  loins.' 

"I  trotted  Wilkes  to  1866  or  1867  and  then  gave 
my  brother  half  of  him.  Afterwards  he  was  sent  to 
Kentucky,  and  when  he  became  famous,  another 
effort  was  made  to  trace  his  dam.  I  had  looked  into 
it  and  could  learn  nothing  further  than  that  she  was 
traded  for  by  one  of  the  firm  of  circus  men  that  after- 
wards built  the  theater  that  occupied  the  site  where 
the  New  York  Herald  Building  now  stands.  A 
member  of  this  firm  told  me  that  he  was  driving  on  in 
front  of  the  show  when  his  horse  gave  out.  Meeting 
a  man  on  a  fresh-looking  mare  a  trade  was  effected. 
The  mare  acted  first-class  that  day,  but  on  the  fol- 
lowing one  she  kicked  herself  free  from  the  wagon 
and  scattered  everything.  This  was  too  much,  so  she 


GEORGE   WILKES  TRIBE.  257 

was  put  into  one  of  the  teams  and  remained  there 
until  the  show  came  back  to  New  York. 

"The  balance  of  the  old  mare's  history  is  well 
known.  She  was  hammered  around  New  York,  and, 
after  being  knocked  out,  was  presented  by  Harry 
Felter  to  his  father,  who  bred  her  to  Hambletonian 
and  got  the  brown  colt  that  became  famous  under  the 
name  of  George  Wilkes. 

"Years  after,  some  one  struck  a  trail  and  showed 
that  Dolly  Spanker  was  by  Henry  Clay,  but  as  far  as 
I  am  concerned,  and  so  far  as  I  know,  her  breeding  is 
unknown." 


GEORGE  WILKES  TRIBE. 


An  acre  of  performance  is  worth  the  whole  land  of  promise. 

— Ho  well. 

So  much  for  the  founder  of  the  family  of  which 
Guy  Wilkes,  thanks  to  the  skill  of  John  Alden  Gold- 
smith, proved  one  of  the  best  representatives,  and  in 
order  to  show  what  a  remarkable  horse  George 
Wilkes  was,  I  have  prepared  the  following  tabulation, 
which  contains  the  names  of  his  get  that  acquired 
standard  records  or  sired  or  produced  performers 
with  standard  records  up  to  the  close  of  1902,  under 
the  year,  when  known,  in  which  they  were 
foaled,  as  published  in  "Wallace's  Year  Book.  It 
will  be  found  by  referring  to  same  that  George 
Wilkes  sired  a  few  foals  before  being  taken  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  was  in  service  from  1873  to  May  28, 


258 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


1882.  The  breeders  in  Kentucky  did  not  take  very 
kindly  at  the  start  to  what  was  called  Simmons'  "little 
baked  pony,"  and  their  neglect  proved  a  blessing  in 
disguise,  as  the  bulk  of  the  bookings  to  him  were 
mares  by  Mambrino  Patchen,  which  were  at  that 
period  considered  "no  account."  It  proved  the 
golden  cross,  and,  as  Hamilton  Busbey  at  a  later 
date  aptly  remarked,  "Speed  still  springs  from  the 
soil  where  the  ashes  of  George  Wilkes  rest." 


1861. 
Olmstead's      Young      Wilkes 

(2  t.,  i  p.) 
Pineapple   (i  t.) 

1862. 
Robert  Fillingham,  Jr.  (i  p.) 

1863. 

Lady  Irwin,  dam  of 
Clifton  Boy  2:30. 

1868. 

Fuller  Wilkes  (i  t.) 
May  Bird  2:21. 
Lady  Simmons,  dam  of 

David  Wilkes  (p.)  2:22^. 
Tansey,  dam  of 

Billy  Sayre   (i  t.,  i   p.) 
Butterfly   2:19^. 
Eagle  Bird  2:21 
(32  t,  10  p.) 
Night  Hawk  (i  t,  i  p.) 
Wilkes  Spirit  (5  t.) 
Young  Wilkes  2:2854 
(28  t,  4  P.) 


Busbey  2:2954. 

1874- 

Bay  Wilkes   (i  t.) 
Blondine  2:24^. 
Col.  Wilkes  (2  p.) 


Com.  Wilkes  (2  t.) 
Ella  G.,  dam  of 

Aaron  March   (i  p.) 

Delmarch  2:11^ 
(25  t,  19  p.) 

Elegy  2:2914. 

Lorraine  (2  t.,  i  p.) 

Marea    2:22. 

Wilkesbrino  2:22^ 

(i  t.,  2  p.) 
Fanny  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Lee  J.,  2:1954. 

Marcasson  (i  t.) 

Patron  Wilkes  2:25%. 

Tom  Stuart  (i  t.) 
Finesse,  dam  of 

Count        Princeps        (p.) 

2:2054. 

Idol  Wilkes  (4  t.,  4  p.) 
Joe  Bunker  2:1954. 
Kentucky       Wilkes       2:2154 

(20  t.,  3  p.) 

Lyle  Wilkes  (6  t,  i  p.) 
Mambrino  Wilkes  (9  t.,  6  p.) 
Mark  Field  (4  t,  2  p.) 
Molly  F.,  dam  of 

France  2:26. 
Nanny  Lyon,  dam  of 

Madison   Smith  2:2954. 
Overstreet  Wilkes  (3  t.,  2  p.) 
Prospect  Maid  2:2354,  dam  of 

Anheuser  2:1854. 
Red  Wilkes   (118  t.,  43  p.) 


GEORGE   WII.KES  TRIBE. 


259 


Rivulet,  dam  of 

Equity  Wilkes    (p.) 
2:2354. 

Silverlet  2:2454. 
The  King  2:2954   (18  t.,  4  P-) 
Wilkesonian  (10  t.,  5  P-) 
Young  Jim  (39  t.,  7  P-) 
Zachariah  (i  t.) 

1875- 
Ambassador  2:2154 

(50  t.,  17  P-) 
Annabel,  dam  of 

Dolly  Withers  2:29^. 

Almont  Wilkes  (3  t.,  2  p.) 
Barney  Wilkes  (11  t.,  5  P-) 
Bourbon  Wilkes  (52  t.,  44  PO 
Conn's  Harry  Wilkes 

(6  t.,  4  P-) 
Crape  Lisse,  dam  of 

Balzarine   2:27. 

Braid      (t.)     2:i854      (P-) 
2:1034. 

King  Rene,  Jr.,  2:17. 
Flora     Wilkes      (p.)     2:19^, 

dam  of  Twinkle  2:25*4- 
Forward  (3  t.,  2  p.) 
Kitty  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Patrick        Martin        (p.) 

2:2354. 

Rajah  2:2954  (i  t.) 
Lumps  2:21  (18  t.,  7  P-) 
Mambrino  Wilkes  2:28^ 

(9  t,  7  P-) 
Mike    Wilkes   (t.)   2:26'^    (p.) 

2:1534. 

Onward  2:2554  (r32  t.,  37  P-) 
Sherman  2:23^  (14  t.,  4  P-) 
Sherman  Wilkes  (2  t.,  i  p.) 
So  So  2:1754,  dam  of 

All  So  2:2054   (2  t.,  3  P.) 

Miss   So  So  2:2454. 

Oh  So  2:25^  (5  t.,  6  p.) 

Reve  So  2:2854. 

Syra   (p.)   2:12^4. 
Stokesie,  dam  of 

Al  B.  2:2554. 


Virgie  Wilkes,  dam  of 
Chatsworth  2:24. 
Rectitude    2:28. 
Satrap    (p.)   2:19*4 

(i  t.,  4  P.) 
Vivanette   (p.)   2:26^4. 

1876. 

Alcantara  2:23  (104  t.,  47  p.) 
Anglin  2:27^. 
Bonnie  Wilkes  2:29^,  dam  of 

Bon  Bon  2:26. 

Bonnie   Bon  2:29^4. 

Bonnie  June  2:30. 

Bonnie    Nutwood   2:2954. 
Brown  Wilkes  2:21^4 

(36  t.,   14  p.) 
Coronet  (3  t.,  2  p.) 
Fuga,  dam  of 

Aristocrat  (i  t.) 

Fugue  2:1954. 

Noblesse  2:24  (4  t.,  3  p.) 
Governor  Wilkes  (i  t.,  I  p.) 
Harry  Wilkes  2:13^   (i  t.) 
Helen  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Burlock  (p.)  2:20^2. 
Ira  Wilkes  (t.)  2:28  (p.)  2:22^ 

(St.,  12  p.) 
Jessica,  dam  of 

Fredia    2:2554 

Lord    Dufferin    2:27^4. 

Queen  Wilkes  2:26^. 
King  Wilkes  2:2254 

(23  t.,  3  P.) 
Lady  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Bellerene    2:2634. 

Tennyson  2:2754. 

Wilkesmont  2:27 

(2  t,  3  P-) 
Lizzie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Reserve   Fund. 
(6  t.,  6  p.) 

Wilkes      Nutwood      (|>.) 

2:24^4  (6  t.,  5  p.) 
Lulu  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Advertiser  2:15^4 
(6  t.,  2  p.) 

Alia  2:21^. 

Welbeck  2:2254. 


260 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


Maggie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Chitwood       (p.)       2:2254 
(5  t.,  3  P-) 

Newcomb.  2:2934   (i  t.) 

Nntpine    (p.)    2:15*4 

Wilkeswood  2:235^ 

(14  t.,  6  p.) 
Mayflower  dam  of 

Patoche   (p.)  2:2354. 
Miss  Wilkes  2:29,  dam  of 

Mamie  Wilkes  2:2454. 
Nora  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Bayon'et   (i  p.) 

Marco  Polo  2:21. 

Robbie  Wilkes  (i  t.,  2  p.) 
Richard  Wilkes  2:2654. 
Rosalie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Ferguson  Wilkes  2:25. 
Rosa  Wilkes  2: 1854,  dam  of 

Blake  2:1354  (2  t.,  i  p.) 
St.  Gothard  2:27   (19  t.,  3  p.) 
Sally  Brass  2:365^,  dam  of 

Dick  Hubbard  2:09^4. 
Sister  Wilkes  2:2234,  dam  of 

Celaya   2:1154. 
Sophia,  dam  of 

George    Gould    (p.)    2:25. 
Tom  Rogers  2:20  (2  t.) 
Vesta  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Dictator  Wilkes  (p)  2:23^. 
Wilcox    (p.)    2:16 
Wilson  2:1654. 
Wilkie  Collins  (16  t.,  5  p.) 
Zelinda  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Nettle  Leaf  2:2354. 

San  Malo  2:2654. 

1877- 
Abby  2:26,  dam  of 

Abbie  X.  2:235^. 

Wilkes    View    2:23^. 
Alcyone,  2:27  (50  t.,  9  p.) 
Bob's  Jug  2:2234. 
Defender  2:26  (3  t.) 
Fallacy,  dam  of 

Bethel    (p.)   2:1854. 

Grimalkin  (2  t.) 

Le  Clede  (p.)  2:1854. 

Rivett  2:2554. 


Fanny  Wilkes  2:2654,  dam  of 

Noble  2:30. 
Favorite  Wilkes  2:245^ 

(23  t.,  8  p.) 

Georgia  Wilkes    (3   t.,    i   p.) 
J.  B.  Richardson  2:1634. 
Jessie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Annie      Dickinson        (p.) 
2:155^. 

Pygmalion    2:25^. 
Kitty  Wilkes  2:30,  dam  of 

Glenville  2:2254. 
Maggie  Moser,  dam  of 

Nutwood  Wilkes  (p) 

2:23. 

Rowena  2:245^. 
Sue  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Wilkes    McGregor    2:30. 
Sionara,  dam  of 

Adora  2:285^. 

1878. 

Abdallah  Wilkes  (9  t.,  6  p.) 
Adrian  Wilkes  (23  t.,  34  p  si 
Albert  France  2:2054. 
Bella,  dam  of 

Philosopher    (p.) 
Beverly  Wilkes  (2  t.) 
Count  Wilkes  (4  t.) 
Fayette  Wilkes   (it.) 
Gen.  Hancock  (3  t.,   12  p.) 
Hattie  Allen,  dam  of 

Decorah  2:2634. 
Honesty  2:22  (p.) 
Isaac   2:2554. 
Jay  Bird  (82  t.,  6  p.) 
Madison  Wilkes  2:2434 

(3  t.,  2  p.) 
Nelly  L.  2:2354,  dam  of 

Actuary   (p.)   2:2054. 

Breadwinner  2:2934. 

Marie   C.  2:1654. 
Podie,  dam  of 

Banquet  2:24. 

Castalia   2:225^. 


GEORGE   WILKES  TRIBE. 


261 


Remembrance,  dam  of 
El    Banecia    2:i7I4- 

(2  t.,  2  p.) 
Remember      (p)      2:21^4 

(i  P-) 
Tennessee   Dictator 

(i.t.,  3  P.) 
Virginia  Jim  2:12^2. 
Vandalia  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Vandal  Wilkes  (p.)  2:24. 

1879- 
Ada  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Keeler  2:1354. 
Bartholomew  Wilkes 

(73  t.,  4  p.) 
Becky  Sharp,  dam  of 

King  Eagle  2:30  (i  p.) 

Double    Stroke    (i    p.) 
Cathedral,  dam  of 

Lady    Glenmere    2:27*4 

Pastoral  2:13%. 

Pilgrim     (t)    2:20^     (p.) 


Villiers  2:21^. 
Emily,  dam  of 

Billy      Thornhill      2:24^ 
(5  t.) 

Col.  Young  2:2354 
(2  t.,  5  P.) 

Fortuna  2:22. 

Redondo    (5  t.,  2  p.) 
Favorita  2:25^,  dam  of 

Jack  Dawson  2:16^4. 

Poteen  2:14*4- 
Georgie,  dam  of 

Charmer   2:29*4. 

Gadabout  2:19*4. 

Globard  2:19*4. 

Quickly    (p.)    2:14*^. 
Guy  Wilkes  2:1554  (71  t.,8  p.) 
Humming  Bird,  dam  of 

Jubilant  2:22    (2  t.) 
Jeff  Wilkes  2:29*4. 
Kate  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Kate   Wilton   2:27. 
Kate  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Posey  Follette   (p.) 


Madrid  (n  t.,  6  p.) 
Manola,  dam  of 

Questator  2:27. 
Mina  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Minter  2:28%. 

Mustard  (p.)  2:08^. 

Obispo  (i  p.) 

Refina  (p.)  2:08^. 
Queen  Wilkes  2:23^. 
Sally  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Chastelard  2:29^4 
(2  t.,  2  p.) 

Dignus   (i  p.) 

Kildare  (3  t.) 

Spain  (p.)  2:1754. 

Wiseacre  2:19^4. 
Simmons  2:28  (88  t.,  22  p.) 
Star  Wilkes  (7  t.,  5  p.) 

1880. 

Allie  Wilkes  (9  t.,  n  p.) 
Betterton  (9  t.,  7  p.) 
Budd      Crooke      (p.)      2:15^ 

(i   t.,   13  p.) 
Clay  Wilkes  (2  t.,  2  p.) 
Cortland  Wilkes  (2  t.) 
Cuba  2:27^4. 
Daisy  Wilkes  2:30,  dam  of 

Wild  Olive  2:27^. 
Doris,  dam  of 

Barclay  2:20^4. 

Frank    Jones    2:16^2. 
Early  Dawn  2:2il/2. 
Ellerslie  Wilkes  2:22^ 

(20  t.,  7  P.) 

Ethan  Wilkes  (15  t,  n  p.) 
Ferguson  (4  t.,  6  p.) 
Georgiana  2:26^,  dam  of 

George  Wood  2:28^. 

M.  J.  M.  2:1534. 
Hambletonian  .Wilkes 

(13  t.,  ii  p.) 
Howard  2:27^4. 
Joy,  dam  of 

Waco  2:1654. 
Lizzie  Wilkes  2:22^4. 
Lexington  Wilkes  (3  t.,  I  p.) 
Louise  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Axminister 


262 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


Macey  (p.)  2:2^/2  (5  t.) 
Magna  Wilkes  2:2^/2- 
Mona  Wilkes,  dam  of 

George  Willis  2:23. 

June  Wilk  2:2954. 
Petoskey  (4  t.,  20  p.) 
Pilot  Wilkes   (p.)  2:23 

(8  t.,  6  p.)< 
Sentinella  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Carrie  Bals  (p.)  2:2454. 
Sir  Wilkes  (p.)  2:24^  (i  p.) 
Tennessee  Wilkes  2:27 

(7  t.,  15  P-) 
Wilkes  Boy  2:24^ 

(55  t.,  16  p.) 
Wilton  2:1954  (98  t.,  15  p.) 

1881. 

Alicia  2:30. 
Anglia,  dam  of 

Anglina 

Effie    Hill   2:215^. 
Carrie  2:29^4,  dam  of 

Darwin   2:13. 

Manager    (p.)    2:06^4 
(2  t.,  7  P.) 

Woodboy  2:1954  (l  t.) 
Carrie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Bay  Baron  (p.)  2:1254. 

Wilkie  Russell  2:15 

(2  t.,  3  P.) 
Dewey  Eve,  dam  of 

Galileo    Rex    (p)    2:12^ 
(4  t.,  6  p.) 

McGregor  Wilkes  2:2754 

(2  p.) 
Edith  dam  of 

Hummer  (15  t.,  9  p.) 

Idolita  2:0954. 
Gambetta  Wilkes  2:1954 

(58  t.,  59  P.) 
General  Wilkes  2:21^ 

(7  t.,  12  p.) 

Jersey  Wilkes  (25  t,  n  p.) 
Kansas  Wilkes   (p.)  2:22^. 

(2    P.) 

Montana  Maid,  dam  of 

Minnie  Simmons  (p)  2:12. 
Moonstone  2:2854. 


Monte  Christo  (4  t.,  2  p.) 
Nelly  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Wilksie  G.,  2:2254. 
Pettie,  dam  of 

Gold  Edge  2:2654. 

Silver  Edge  2:2354. 
Roxana,  dam  of 

George  M.   (p.)   2:2OI/4- 
Sealskin  Wilkes  2:2954 

(4  t.,  i  p.) 
Susie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Daisy  N.  2:2554. 
Walsingham  (15  t.,  10  p.) 
Wheeling  Wilkes  (i  p.) 
Willie  Wilkes  2:28,  dam  of 

Aspirator   (p.)   2:245^. 

Bowery   Belle   2:1854. 

Bowery  Boy  (p.) 

Deluge  2:245^. 

Great  Heart  2:i2l/2 
(i  t.,  4  p.) 

Rachel  (p.)  2:0854. 

Woodsprite  (5  t.) 

1882. 
Baron  Wilkes  2:18 

(83  t.,  21  p.) 
Black   Wilkes  2:28^ 

(4  t.,  5  P-) 

Boston  Wilkes  (2  t,  4  p.) 
Brignoli  Wilkes  2:145^ 

(4  t.,    T   p.) 

Dunton  Wilkes  (3  t.,  10  p.) 
Empire  Wilkes  2:2954 

(6  t.,  2  p.) 
Erie  Wilkes   (4  p.) 
Florence  Elmore  2:26^4,  dam 

of  Night  Bell  2:255^. 
Gabrina,  dam  of 

Orania  2:1854. 
Hector  Wilkes  (4  t.) 
Irma  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Arrowwood   (8  t.,   n   p.) 

Irmgard   2:24^. 
Irish  Mag,  dam  of 

Etta  Wilkes  2:195^. 

Mickey  2:20. 
Jimmy     Temple     (t.)     2\22l/2 

(p.)    2:2354. 


1884 — GUY   WILKES. 


263 


Josie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Kingmoore   2:2^/4    (i   t.) 

Wardship  2:23^. 
Kaiser  2:28^  (9  t.,  6  p.) 
Lady  Dunton,  dam  of 

Alvina   Wilkes    (p.)    2:10. 

Mamie    S.    (p.)    2:2134. 
Lady  Lyle,  dam  of 

Earlmont    (t.)    2:25     (p.) 

2:09^. 
Lulu  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Direction       (p.)       2:08*4 
(i  t,  i  p.) 

Ignis  Fatuus  2:20^   (i  t.) 

Jacobin  2:23^. 
Marguerite,  dam  of 

Exploit    (t.)    2:1954     (p.) 

2:085^. 
Melrose,  dam  of 

Frances  2:30. 

Glenview   Belle  2:20^. 


p.) 


Marie  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Vollula  (p)  2:15. 
Nora  Wilkes,  dam  of 

Dubuque  (i  t.) 

Nowood    (p.)    2 
(6  t,  2  p.) 

Norawood    (p.) 

Farwood  (i  t.) 
Norman  Wilkes  (i  t.,  I 
Patchen  Wilkes  2:29^ 

(20  t.,  18  p.) 
Prince  Charles  (i  t.) 
Prophet  Wilkes  (p.)  2:21  X  . 

(4  t.,  4  P.) 

Ross  Wilkes  (2  t,  3  p.) 
Sentinel  Wilkes  (9  t.,  7  p.) 
Wickliffe  (9  t.,  5  p.) 
William  L.  (6  t.,  4  P-) 
Woodford  Wilkes  (27  t.,  14  p.) 

1883. 

Little  Marchioness,  dam  of 
Altonette  2:29^.          •   i 


The  years  that  the  following-  were  foaled  is  not  known 
by  the  writer: 

Dam      of      Maggie      Nelson      George  Wilkes,  Jr.  (5  t.,  3  p.) 
2:2634.  Ida  Barker,  dam  of 

Easton  Wilkes  (i  t.)  York  Wilkes  (p.)  2:25. 


1884— GUY  WILKES. 


Record   maker,   record   breaker,    record   getter, 
A  few  as  good,  some  as  fast;  none  better. 

When  John  Goldsmith  returned  to  California, 
after  the  Director  campaign,  a  number  of  prominent 
breeders  offered  him  their  stock  to  develop,  and,  in 
order  to  comply  with  their  demands,  he  resigned  his 
position  as  trainer  for  Monroe  Salisbury,  who  has 
been  a  "King  maker"  in  the  matter  of  drivers,  as  well 
as  horses,  and  opened  a  public  stable.  He  also  pur- 
chased the  Nutwood  mare,  Manon,  and  when  the 


264 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


California  circuit  got  under  way,  he  stepped  out  and 
won  five  races  with  her  off  the  reel,  giving  her  a  mark 
of  2:21  at  Sacramento,  where  she  defeated  Brigadier, 
Allan  Roy,  Vanderlynn  and  Albert  W.  William 
Corbett  was  represented  in  John  Goldsmith's  stable 
by  Joe  Arthurton  and  Guy  Wilkes,  both  of  which  won 
all  of  the  races  in  which  they  started  during  the  cam- 
paign of  1884,  the  Arthurton  gelding  closing  the  sea- 
son with  a  record  of  2  :25j4,  and  Guy  Wilkes  with  a 
mark  of  2:19*4,  made  in  the  deciding  heat  of  a  $3,000 
match  race,  in  which  he  defeated  Adair.  Goldsmith 
also  campaigned  the  Admiral  mare,  Sister,  for  Mon- 
roe Salisbury,  starting  her  in  twelve  races,  of  which 
she  won  six,  was  second  in  five,  and  third  in  one,  and 
gave  her  a  mark  of  2  122^  in  a  third  heat  at  Oakland, 
where  she  defeated  B.  B.,  Trump  Wilson  and  Scandi- 
navian. The  following  table  presents  a  synopsis  of 
the  season's  work: 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

? 

£ 

Second 

!§ 

°rS 

fc 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Guy  Wilkes     . 

2:19^ 

George  Wilkes 

q 

q 

$6500  00 

Sister  

2:21^ 

Admiral  

13 

H 

5 

1 

3  362  50 

Manon 

2:21 

Nutwood 

^ 

^ 

2  175  00 

Maude  (p)  

2:20 

Bertrand  Black  Hawk 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1  400  00 

Joe  Arthurton 

2:25  }4 

Arthurton 

^ 

1 

1  330  00 

Regina  

2:34^ 

Electioneer  

3 

3 

425  00 

Anteeo 

2-24 

Electioneer 

1 

1 

250  00 

Cleveland  

2:32^ 

1 

1 

125  00 

Romero 

A.  W.  Richmond 

1 

1 

125  00 

Elaine  

2:34 

Oregon  Pathfinder  

2 

1 

1 

100  00 

Sam  Lewis  (p) 

2:26 

Echo                 

1 

1 

75  00 

Pope  Leo 

Romeo 

1 

1 

Total  ... 

46 

29 

12 

3 

2 

$15,867  50 

1885— ANTEEO.  265 

1885— ANTEEO. 


He  was  Scotch,  you  could  tell  by  the  burr. 
With  opinions  as  firm  as  poles, 
That  warm  blood  and  tips  make  the  trotter, 
As  shown  by  Columbine's  foals. 

When  the  bell  rang  for  the  California  Circuit  in 
1885,  Guy  Wilkes  was  in  Orrin  A.  Hickok's  hands,  and 
in  the  campaign  that  followed,  Nelly  R.,  Arab  and  the 
George  Wilkes  stallion  had  too  much  speed  for  the 
members  of  John  Goldsmith's  stable.  He  evaded 
them  at  Santa  Rosa  and  Petaluma,  where  he  won 
with  Anteeo,  and  finally  gave  that  horse  this  record 
of  2\i6l/2  in  a  $2,000  match  race  with  Adair  at  San 
Francisco  on  October  30.  During  the  season  Anteeo 
also  trotted  second  to  Ruby  at  Oakland,  and  second  to 
Arab  in  two  races  at  the  Bay  District,  Guy  Wilkes 
and  Adair  being  below  him  in  the  summary  in  one  of 
them.  Manon  won  her  first  two  races  over  Adair  and 
Albert  W.,  these  successes  being  followed  by  two  de- 
feats by  Nelly  R.  and  three  by  Guy  Wilkes.  Sister 
took  the  word  in  five  races,  but  failed  to  win,  her  score 
being  four  seconds  and  a  third,  the  big  end  of  the 
purse  in  three  of  the  events  going  to  Arab,  and  one 
each  to  Adair  and  Albert  W. 

The  four-year-old  colt,  Dawn,  by  Nutwood,  made 
a  very  favorable  showing,  his  best  race  being  trotted 
at  Sacramento,  where  he  defeated  Pansy,  Anteeo, 
Voucher  and  Nona  Y.  in  a  five-heat  race,  and  made  a 
record  of  2  '.2^/4,  while  Maude  made  a  clean  score  for 
John  Goldsmith  by  winning  at  Santa  Rosa,  Oakland, 
Sacramento  and  Stockton,  and  equalled  her  record  of 
2  :2O  in  the  deciding  heat  of  her  last  race.  While  at 
Santa  Rosa,  in  August,  John  Goldsmith  started  the 


266 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Santa  Clans  colt,  Sidney,  and  won  two  heats,  giving 
him  a  record  of  2 129,  but  was  distanced  by  Poca- 
hontas.  He  also  had  Monroe  Chief  in  training  for  a 
short  time  at  Oakland,  where  he  started  him  in  a  spe- 
cial with  Ar,ab  and  Nellie  R.  He  showed  all  of  his 
old-time  speed  until  he  met  with  a  mishap  which  put 
him  on  the  retired  list.  The  names  of  the  other 
starters  appear  in  the  following  table : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

cti 

% 

£ 

Second. 

Third. 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Anteeo      

2:16^ 

Electioneer  

7 

4 

3 

$3,287  50 

Manon 

Nutwood 

2 

1 

3 

1 

1,695  00 

Dawn  (4)       .... 

2:25K 

Nutwood     

9 

3 

1 

3 

1 

1,567  50 

Maude 

2-20 

Bertrand  Black  Hawk 

4 

4 

1,550  00 

May  Boy 

2-26 

Whipple  Hambletoni'n 

1 

4 

2 

1,012  50 

Sister 

Admiral 

5 

4 

1 

937  50 

Blaine 

2  -28  >£ 

Oregon  Pathfinder.  .  .  . 

8 

3 

3 

2 

642  50 

Ivy  (p)  

2:36^ 

Buccaneer  

3 

1 

1 

1 

467  50 

Ned 

Overland 

5 

3 

V 

212  50 

Maid  of  Oaks 

2-30 

Duke  McClellan 

1 

1 

150  00 

Fred  Acker  man  (p) 

2:23 

Washington  

2 

2 

125  00 

Jim  Monroe 

1 

1 

2-29 

Santa  Claus 

1 

1 

Total  

60 

19 

19 

15 

4 

3 

$11,647  50 

886— SHAMROCK. 


One  said,  "2:10!     That  couldn't  be — 

More  like  two  twenty-two  or  three."  —Holmes. 

John  Goldsmith  had  a  very  large  stable  in  1886, 
the  returns  for  the  season  showing  that  he  drove 
fifteen  horses  in  sixty-two  races,  of  which  he  won 


1 886 — SHAMROCK.  267 

twenty-nine,  was  second  in  nineteen,  third  in  twelve, 
and  unplaced  in  four.  Hickok  and  Marvin  were 
both  absent  on  the  Eastern  tracks,  the  former  with 
Arab,  and  the  latter  with  Palo  Alto,  St.  Bel  and  the 
four-year-old  record-breaker,  Manzanita,  2:16.  Guy 
Wilkes  again  proved  the  star  pupil  in  Goldsmith's 
stable,  as  he  had  in  1884,  his  first  start  being  at  Santa 
Rosa,  in  August,  when  he  won  and  made  his  record 
of  2:15^4,  in  a  third  heat,  the  middle  half  of  the  mile 
being  trotted  in  i  :o6^4-  He  also  won  his  engage- 
ments at  Petaluma,  where  he  trotted  a  third  heat  in 
2:i6^4;  Oakland,  where  he  lost  two  heats  to  Adair ; 
San  Jose  and  Sacramento,  where  he  trotted  a  fourth 
heat  in  2:16^4,  and  at  the  Bay  District,  on  Christmas 
Day,  where  he  distanced  Charles  Hilton  and  J.  Q. 
He  was  also  started  at  San  Francisco  on  November 
27  against  Antevolo,  Charles  Hilton,  Harry  Wilkes 
and  Arab,  and  finished  second  to  Harry  Wilkes,  after 
winning  a  third  heat  in  2:16^4,  the  time  of  the  winner 
being  2:15^4,  2:16^,  2:15. 

While  in  the  Circuit,  in  1886,  Dawn  won  four  out 
of  five  races  and  reduced  his  record  to  2:19^  at 
Petaluma,  where  he  defeated  B.  B.  and  La  Grange. 
Manon  was  also  inside  the  money  in  all  of  her  races, 
and  won  the  free-for-alls  at  Nevada  City  and  Sacra- 
mento, where  she  defeated  Antevolo,  Albert  W.,  both 
of  which  won  heats,  and  Bay  Frank.  Sister  was  also 
tried  again,  and  after  winning  from  Allan  Roy  and 
Albert  W.  at  San  Francisco,  trotted  second  to  the 
Patchen  Vernon  gelding  at  Oakland,  Sacramento  and 
San  Jose.  Shamrock,  his  first  colt  trotter,  was  also 
started  while  on  the  trip.  Soudan  defeated  him  at 
Sacramento  and  San  Jose,  and  he  was  third  to  Ella  at 
Oakland.  In  his  other  starts  he  had  a  walkover 
at  Petaluma,  defeated  Soudan  and  Edna  at  Stock- 
ton, and  won  over  Twinkle  at  San  Francisco,  where 
he  placed  the  two-year-old  race  record  for  colts 


268 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


at  2  -.25,  and  made  it  in  a  second  heat.  Maude  also 
won  four  out  of  five  starts,  her  only  defeat  being  at 
Sacramento,  where  she  was  second  to  Killarney. 
The  three-year-old  Valensin,  by  Crown  Point,  was 
in  Goldsmith's  stable  during  the  season,  and  won  at 
Petaluma  an<}  Stockton,  where  he  made  a  record  of 
2  123  in  a  fourth  heat,  defeating  Alcazar  and  Tempest. 
In  his  other  starts  he  was  second  to  Alcazar  at  Santa 
Rosa,  Sacramento  and  San  Jose,  and  third  to  the  same 
horse  at  Oakland.  He  was  also  defeated  by  Lot 
Slocum  at  San  Francisco  and  Petaluma.  During  the 
meeting  at  Santa  Rosa,  Goldsmith  also  took  a  mount 
behind  Voucher,  when  it  looked  as  though  Stamboul 
had  the  race  won.  He  had  the  first  and  third  heats  to 
his  credit,  while  the  second  was  called  a  dead  heat 
between  Voucher  and  Stamboul.  John  had  his 
money  on  the  field  against  Stamboul,  and  from  the 
time  he  struck  the  favorite  at  the  head  of  the  stretch 
in  the  fourth  heat  the  issue  was  never  in  doubt. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

•M 

t 

% 

Second. 

2 

s 

h 

Fourth 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Guy  Wilkes  
Dawn 

2:15* 

2-19^ 

George  Wilkes  
Nutwood 

8 
5 

7 
4 

1 

1 

$4,875  00 
1,515  00 

Manon 

Nutwood 

5 

2 

2 

1 

1.475  00 

Maude  (p) 

Bertrand  Black  Hawk 

5 

4 

1 

1,312  50 

Valensin  (3)  

2:23 

Crown  Point  

8 

2 

3 

2 

1 

1,187  50 

Shamrock  (2)  
Hidalgo 

2:25 

2-27^ 

Buccaneer  
Sultan 

6 
4 

3 
1 

2 
1 

1 
1 

1 

1,057  50 
500  00 

Mt.  Vernon 

Nutwood 

5 

2 

3 

47500 

Sister  
Patchen  T    (p) 

2-24^ 

Admiral  
Shadow 

4 
4 

1 

3 
8 

1 

450  00 
262  50 

Ned  

Overland  

2 

1 

1 

25000 

Voucher 

1 

1 

250  00 

Joe  Arthurton 

Arthurton 

1 

1 

200  00 

Sam  Lewis  (p)  .  . 

Echo  

3 

1 

1 

1 

187  50 

Bonner  Jr 

1 

1 

50  00 

Total  

62 

29 

19 

10 

4 

$14,047  50 

i88y — SABLE  WILKES.  269 

1887— SABLE  WILKES. 

His  black  horse  was  reckoned  the  best  on  the  coast. 

— Gordon. 

The  three-year-old  colt,  Sable  Wilkes,  was  the  star 
in  John  A.  Goldsmith's  stable  in  1887.  He  was  by 
Guy  Wilkes,  out  of  Sable,  by  The  Moor,  and  proved  a 
very  strong  card  for  his  sire,  as  after  defeating  Soudan 
at  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento,  where  he  won  the 
Occident  Stake  and  having  two  walkovers,  he  was 
shipped  to  the  Bay  District  and  started  to  beat  2  119^2, 
the  world's  record  for  three-year-olds,  held  jointly  by 
the  Electioneer  filly,  Hinda  Rose,  and  the  Kentucky- 
bred  colt,  Patron,  by  Pancoast.  At  the  first  time  of 
asking,  Sable  Wilkes  cut  the  record  to  2:18,  and  when 
tried  again,  three  weeks  later,  trotted  in  2:18%.  The 
mile  in  2:18  gave  Sable  Wilkes  and  his  sire  a  world- 
wide reputation,  which  they  retained  from  that  date 
until  John  Goldsmith  drove  his  last  race.  Their  glory 
departed  with  him.  Goldsmith  also  won  four  races 
for  the  San  Mateo  Farm  with  the  two-year-old  geld- 
in,  Grandee,  by  Le  Grand,  giving  him  a  mark  of 
2:31^2  at  San  Francisco,  where  he  defeated  Memo. 
Sister  picked  up  two  races  at  San  Francisco,  cutting 
her  mark  to  2:19^,  when  she  defeated  Black  Diamond 
and  Wells  Fargo.  She  did  not,  however,  have  speed 
enough  to  win  on  the  trip  through  the  circuit,  Lot 
Slocum,  Menlo  and  Jane  L.  being  in  the  way.  The 
other  starters  and  their  positions  appear  in  the  follow- 
ing table : 


270 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts.  1 

•g 

£ 

Second. 

T3 

2 
H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won 

Sister 

2-19>{ 

Admiral 

14 

2 

4 

o 

0 

$2  180  00 

Ella  S.  (p) 

2-2Q 

Bob  Hal 

7 

fi 

1 

1  697  50 

Mt.  Vernon  
Sable  Wilkes  (p)  .  . 

2:18 

Nutwood  
Guy  Wilkes  

8 

3 
6 

3 
1 

.... 

1 

1 

1,45000 
1,396  25 

Grandee  (2)  . 

2-31^ 

Le  Grand 

4 

4 

717  50 

Perihelion  

Admiral  

6 

2 

2 

1 

1 

560  00 

Jane  L. 

2-19K 

Hambletonian  Mamb 

1 

1 

250  00 

Lilly  Stanley     

2:20^ 

Whippleton  .... 

1 

1 

250  00 

Pocahontas  (p)  .  .  . 

Little  Washington  

3 

2 

1 

237  50 

Joe  Arthurton 

2:22^ 

Arthurton 

5 

1 

2 

1 

1 

222  50 

Allie  Whipple  
Cling 

2:33^ 

2-29%; 

Whipple  Hambletoni'n 
Grey  Jim 

1 
1 

1 
1 

10000 
75  00 

Well's  Fargo  

Geo.  M.  Patchen,Jr. 

2 

1 

1 

Total  

60 

25 

15 

11 

5 

4 

$9,136  25 

1888— YOLO   MAID. 


Like  a  bird  on  the  wing  she  flashed  off  in  the  lead, 
Andy  talking  her  back  as  she  took  a  hold  strong; 
At  the  half  Pointer  brushed  and  his  marvelous  speed 
Made  her  dizzy,  when  "Papa"  Geers  sent  him  along. 

When  the  trotters  were  taken  up  for  the  campaign 
of  1888,  John  A.  Goldsmith  was  at  San  Mateo  Farm, 
in  the  employ  of  William  Corbitt,  and  from  that  sea- 
son until  1894  he  was  constantly  engaged  in  develop- 
ing and  racing  the  get  of  Guy  Wilkes  and  the  three- 
year-old  champion,  Sable  Wilkes,  with  a  few  tracing 
to  other  families,  until  he  had  enough  farm-bred  ones 


1 888 — YOLO   MAID.  271 

to  make  a  formidable  stable.  When  John  Goldsmith 
went  to  San  Mateo  there  were  very  few  foals  by  Guy 
Wilkes  on  the  farm,  the  only  ones  trained  in  1888 
being  the  three-year-old  filly,  Hazel  Wilkes,  her  sister, 
Una  Wilkes,  and  the  two-year-old  filly,  Lillian  Wilkes. 
They  were  not  started  until  the  next  year.  After  the 
stud  season,  Guy  Wilkes  was  taken  up  and  started  in 
the  free-for-all  stallion  race  at  Oakland,  where  he  de- 
feated Stamboul  and  Woodnut  in  five  heats,  the  second 
and  third  miles  in  the  event  being  won  by  Stamboul. 
His  last  start  was  in  the  Grand  Stallion  Stake  for 
$3,500  at  the  California  State  Fair  against  the  same 
horses.  On  this  occasion  Woodnut  was  victorious, 
after  Guy  Wilkes  had  won  a  heat  and  trotted  a  dead 
heat  with  him  in  2:iyl/2. 

In  his  three-year-old  form,  Grandee  won  his  races 
and  had  two  walk-overs.  He  met  Direct  in  his  first 
race  at  Petaluma  and  won  in  2:26,  2:23^,  while  he 
also  defeated  the  Director  colt,  as  well  as  Balkan  and 
Moses  S.  at  Sacramento.  While  in  the  Circuit,  John 
Goldsmith  drove  Ben  Ali  in  six  races,  of  which  he  won 
five  and  gave  him  a  record  of  2  122  at  Napa.  He  also 
won  four  out  of  five  starts  with  the  three-year-old  filly, 
Yolo  Maid,  marking  her  in  2:14  at  San  Francisco, 
where  she  defeated  Adonis,  while  Rosie  Mac,  by  Alex- 
ander Button,  had  two  firsts,  two  seconds  and  a  fourth 
to  show  for  the  five  races  that  John  Goldsmith  drove 
her.  He  also  won  a  three-year-old  pace  at  Oakland 
with  Adonis,  finished  second  to  Don  Tomas  with  Bay 
Rose  at  San  Francisco,  and  won  with  the  Admiral 
pacer  Perihelion  at  San  Jose,  as  is  set  forth  in  the  fol- 
lowing synopsis  of  the  season's  work : 


272 


THE    GOLDSMITHS. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

w 
C 

'£ 

•d 

c 

•2 

'Jo 
EH 

Fourth. 

-a 

*5c 
c 
p 

Amount 
Won. 

Yolo  Maid  (3)  

2:14 

Alexander  Button  

6 

4 

1 

$1,650  00 

Guy  Wilkes  

George  Wilkes  

2 

1 

1 

1  625  00 

Ben  Ali  

2:22 

Geo.  M.  Patchen,  Jr.  .  . 

6 

5 

1 

1,600  00 

Rosie  Mac  

2:20^ 

Alexander  Button  . 

5 

2 

2 

1 

1  430  00 

Grandee  (3)  

2:23^ 

Le  Grand  

4 

4 

1,217  50 

Perihelion  (p) 

2-26 

Admiral 

1 

1 

300  00 

Adonis  (3)  

2-20^ 

Sidney  

1 

300  00 

Bay  Rose 

2-20^ 

Sultan 

1 

1 

125  00 

Damiana  (p) 

Gladiator  

1 

1 

60  00 

Allie  Whipple 

Whipple's  Hamblet'n 

1 

1 

15  00 

Total  

27 

18 

H 

8 

$8,322  50 

1889— LILLIAN  WILKES. 


Her  neck  was  arched  double,  her  nostrils  were  wide, 
And  the  tips  of  her  tapering  ears  nearly  met. 

— Gordon. 

In  1889,  the  Guy  Wilkes  trotters  began  to  appear, 
John  Goldsmith  making  his  first  starts  in  August,  at 
Napa,  where  Hazel  Wilkes  was  second  to  the  Palo 
Alto  filly,  Lorita,  in  2:22^4,  and  Lillian  Wilkes  in  a 
walkover  in  the  stake  for  three-year-olds,  trotted  in 
2:18,  equalling  the  mark  made  by  Sable  Wilkes  in 
1887,  but  which  was  no  longer  the  world's  record, 
Axtell  having  reduced  it  to  2:14%  at  Cleveland  a  few 
weeks  before ;  a  figure  which  he  subsequently  cut  to 
2:12  at  Terre  Haute.  Hazel  Wilkes  won  her  engage- 
ments at  Santa  Rosa  and  Petaluma,  where  Lillian 
Wilkes  made  her  first  start  in  a  race  with  Sunol  and 


1 889 — LIUJAN  WILKES.  273 

Margaret  S.  The  first  heat  was  won  by  Sunol  in 
2:21^2,  and  the  next  three  by  the  Guy  Wilkes  filly  in 
2:17^4,  2:26,  2:26^.  When  this  trio  met  again,  at 
Oakland,  the  positions  were  reversed,  Sunol  winning 
in  straight  order,  with  Margaret  S.  second  and  Lillian 
Wilkes  third.  After  the  Oakland  race  Lillian  Wilkes 
disappeared  from  the  turf,  Margaret  S.  trained  on  to 
a  record  of  2:i2l/2,  while  Sunol,  after  reducing  the 
three-year-old  record  to  2:io>2,  placed  the  world's 
record  to  high  wheels  at  2:o8*4>  which  remained  un- 
beaten until  September  n,  1903,  when  Lou  Dillon 
trotted  the  Cleveland  track  to  that  hitch  in  2 105. 

After  trotting  second  to  Lorita  at  Oakland,  Hazel 
Wilkes  won  again  at  Sacramento,  where  the  two 
year-old  colt,  Regal  Wilkes,  made  his  first  start  and 
won  in  2:28^.  He  also  won  again  at  San  Jose,  and 
on  November  9,  the  day  Sunol  trotted  in  2:10^2,  Regal 
Wilkes  placed  the  two-year-old  record  for  colts  at 
2:20^4.  On  the  same  day  Palo  Alto  trotted  in  2:12^, 
and  Stamboul  in  2:13^-  During  the  balance  of  the 
campaign  Hazel  Wilkes  trotted  second  to  Emma 
Temple  at  Stockton,  where  she  won  two  heats  and 
made  a  record  of  2:20;  won  at  San  Jose  over  Mary 
Lou,  Alfred  G.  and  Pink,  and  was  second  to  Direct  in 
a  four-year-old  race  at  San  Francisco  in  2:19^,  2:19^2, 
2:191/2.  Una  Wilkes,  a  sister  to  Hazel  Wilkes,  was 
also  started  at  San  Jose,  where  she  saved  her  entrance 
in  a  race  won  by  Richmond,  Jr.  Of  the  other  horses 
driven  by  John  Goldsmith  while  in  the  Circuit  in  1889, 
Dan  De  Noyelle's  mare,  Nina  De,  by  Nutwood,  out  of 
Adelaide,  by  Phil  Sheridan,  won  three  out  of  five 
starts  and  made  a  record  of  2 126^ ;  Victor  was 
awarded  a  first  and  a  third,  Alfred  G.  a  first,  Belle 


274 


THE   GOLDSMITHS. 


Button  a  first  at  Napa,  where  she  made  a  record  of 
2.  :2O,  but  was  beaten  in  her  other  engagements  by 
Creole,  Racquet  and  Longwell,  while  Bay  Rose,  after 
finishing  second  to  Direct  at  San  Jose  and  third  to 
Thapsin  at  the  Bay  District,  won  the  2  :2O  class  on  No- 
vember 9  over  Juno  and  Thapsin.  The  other  starters 
appear  in  the  following  summary  of  the  season's  work : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

£ 

Second.  1 

i 

2 

H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Hazel  Wilkes 

2:20 

Guy  Wilkes 

8 

4 

4 

$2400  00 

Alfred  G 

2:23 

Anteeo 

1 

1 

1  000  00 

Lillian  Wilkes  (3) 

2-17K 

Guy  Wilkes 

3 

2 

1 

980  00 

Nina  D 

2-26^ 

Nutwood 

5 

3 

1 

1 

725  00 

Victor 

2-22 

Echo 

2 

1 

1 

550  00 

Flora  Belle 

2-25 

Alcona 

2 

1 

1 

500  00 

Lilly  Stanley 

Whippleton 

3 

9 

1 

471  25 

Bay  Rose 

Sultan 

2 

1 

1 

402  50 

Belle  Button  (p)  .. 
Richmond,  Jr      ... 

2:20 

2:24^ 

Alexander  Button  
A.  W.  Richmond  

4 
1 

1 
1 

1 

1 

1 

325  00 
300  00 

Creole 

2:21V2 

Prompter  

1 

1 

250  00 

Regal  Wilkes  (2)  .  . 
Ned  Locke 

2:20% 
2:28^ 

Guy  Wilkes  
Antelope  

4 
1 

3 
1 

1 

200  00 
200  00 

Memo 

Sidney  

1 

1 

100  00 

Una  Wilkes 

Guv  Wilkes  

1 

1 

30  00 

Total  .  .  . 

39 

20 

10 

4 

8 

2 

$8.433  75 

VICTOR. 


Handsome  is   that  handsome  does — Goldsmith. 

The  race  that  John  Goldsmith  won  with  Victor 
was  trotted  at  Oakland  against  Direct,  Senator,  Val- 
entine and  Junio.  McDowell  won  the  first  two  heats 
with  Direct  in  2:22,  2:21%,  Senator  picked  up  the 
third  in  2. 122,  and  Victor  then  scored  twice  in  2  '.22%, 


1890 — FREEDOM.  275 

2:2414.  The  sixth  heat  was  declared  dead  between 
Victor  and  Direct  in  2:2454,  after  which  Goldsmith 
won  in  2:26*4.  Before  coming  to  San  Francisco 
Victor  was  considered  a  wonder  at  the  up-country 
fairs,  and  later  on,  when  the  blacksmith  who  devel- 
oped him  appeared  at  Sacramento,  he  created  con- 
siderable merriment.  When  describing  Victor's 
race  at  Sacramento,  where  he  won  a  heat,  but  was 
beaten  by  Franklin,  Joseph  Cairn  Simpson  said : 
"Victor  was  driven  without  a  check,  the  sulky  was 
an  old  and  rattling  one  and  the  driver  was  dressed 
in  a  dark  navy  blue  suit,  a  la  military  cut,  and  a  cap 
that  resembled  those  of  the  British  grenadiers  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.  It  was  fun  to  see  Victor  score. 
When  his  driver  would  say  "whoa"  to  him  he  would 
stop  as  though  he  was  hit  in  the  head  with  a  club,  and 
would  walk  to  the  score  like  an  old  plow-horse.  He 
was  always  up  on  a  start  and  the  first  to  turn  around 
when  called  back.  The  colors  for  Victor  were 
orange  and  blue,  but  the  driver's  colors  were  all  blue. 
When  asked  where  was  his  orange,  he  said  he  had 
it  in  his  pocket." 


1890— FREEDOM. 


Old  Hiram  settled  it  at  last! 

''The  time  was  two — too  dee-vel-ish  fast!" 

— Holmes. 

Six  of  the  nineteen  horses  that  John  Goldsmith 
started  in  1890  were  by  Guy  Wilkes  and  two  by 
Sable  Wilkes,  the  latter  being  represented  by  the 
yearlings  Thora  and  Freedom.  This  pair  of  baby 


276  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

trotters  made  their  only  starts  at  Napa  in  October, 
Thora  being  defeated  in  a  race  by  the  Alcazar  colt, 
Kebir,  while  Freedom,  after  failing  to  beat  2. 135  on 
October  16,  was  started  two  days  later  and  reduced 
Norlaine's  wprld's  record  of  2:31^  to  2:29^4.  Of 
the  Guy  Wilkes  trotters,  Regal  Wilkes  had  three 
walk-overs  and  made  a  three-year-old  record  of 
2\iyy2  at  Fresno  in  a  trip  against  time,  and  Hazel 
Wilkes  won  at  San  Jose,  Napa,  Petaluma  and  Oak- 
land, without  changing  her  four-year-old  record  of 
2 :2O,  her  only  defeat  during  the  season  being  in  a 
race  that  Homestake  won  in  2:18,  2:14^,  2:1414. 
Una  Wilkes  was  not  so  fortunate.  She  won  at  Oak- 
land, Fresno  and  Napa,  where  she  made  a  four-year- 
old  record  of  2 1251/2  ;  was  third  to  Beaury  Me  at 
San  Jose,  unplaced  to  Silas  Skinner  in  one  of  her 
races  at  Napa,  second  to  Charles  Derby  at  Petaluma, 
third  to  Silas  Skinner  in  her  second  race  at  Oakland 
and  beaten  by  both  Vic  H.  and  Frank  M.  at  Sacra- 
mento. Of  the  others,  Vida  Wilkes  trotted  to  a 
two-year-old  record  of  2  :22*4,  the  three-year-old  filly 
Milly  Wilkes  started  five  times,  but  failed  to  win  a 
heat  and  the  three-year-old  colt,  Rupee,  won  five  out 
of  seven  races  and  made  a  pacing  record  of  2:163/2 
at  Fresno,  where  he  defeated  Hummer  and  Princess 
Alice.  Sister  V.  made  a  clean  sweep  through  the 
circuit,  winning  eight  races  in  straight  order  and 
making  a  record  of  2:18^.  On  the  first  day  of  the 
Oakland  meeting  this  mare  and  Hazel  Wilkes  each 
won  a  first  and  Milly  Wilkes  a  second.  On  the 
following  day  John  Goldsmith  cleared  the  card  with 
Una  Wilkes  and  Rupee.  Sister  V.  was  by  Sidney, 
out  of  Nettie  Lambert,  by  John  Nelson.  She 


1 890 — FREEDOM. 


277 


proved  the  most  consistent  performer  in  the  family. 
During  the  season  John  Goldsmith  also  drove  Stam1 
boul  in  2:nI/4,  at  Stockton,  won  two  special  events 
at  Sacramento  with  Hummer  and  Beaury  Me,  and 
started  the  Nutwood  mare,  Chantilly,  in  three  races 
without  getting  better  than  second.  She  is  now 
referred  to  as  the  dam  of  Chanty,  2:13^.  The  other 
starters  appear  in  the  following  table : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

£ 

Second. 

i 

A 
H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Hazel  Wilkes 

Guy  Wilkes 

6 

5 

1 

$4075  00 

Sister  V 

2-18% 

Sidney 

8 

8 

3850  00 

Rupee  (p) 

2:16% 

Guy  Wilkes       

7 

5 

1 

1 

2,675  00 

Una  Wilkes 

2:25% 

Guy  Wilkes  

9 

8 

1 

R 

2 

1  630  00 

Regal  Wilkes  (3).. 
Vida  Wilkes  (2) 

2:17% 
2:22# 

Guy  Wilkes  
Guy  Wilkes  

4 
7 

4 

6 

1 

1,170  00 
907  50 

Chantilly 

Nutwood  

3 

1 

2 

600  00 

Millie  Wilkes 

Guy  Wilkes  ' 

5 

4 

1 

480  00 

Beaury  Me 

2-19K 

Nephew  

1 

1 

400  00 

Hummer 

2:18% 

Sidney  

1 

1 

300  00 

Maud  H 

Carr's  Mambrino 

1 

1 

250  00 

St.  Joe 

2:26 

Junio  

1 

1 

250  00 

Vidette           

Dave  Hill,  Jr  

1 

1 

120  00 

2-33 

Antevolo                . 

? 

1 

1 

118  00 

Thora  (1) 

Sable  Wilkes 

1 

1 

81  75 

Mountain  Maid 

Anteeo          

1 

1 

75  00 

Anita  (4) 

2-25% 

Le  Grand  

2 

1 

1 

75  00 

Stamboul 

2-11% 

Sultan  

4 

3 

1 

2-29% 

Sable  Wilkes 

2 

1 

1 

Total  

66 

37 

15 

11 

1 

2 

$17,057  25 

278  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1891— VIDA  WILKES. 


Coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before. — Campbell. 

John  Goldsmith  drove  his  last  races  in  California 
in  1891.  He  started  out  in  August  with  five  horses 
by  Guy  Wilkes  and  a  pair  of  two-year-olds  by  Sable 
Wilkes.  Vida  Wilkes,  by  Guy  Wilkes,  out  of  Vixen 
by  Nutwood,  second  dam  Sister,  dam  of  Albert  W., 
2.  :2O,  proved  the  star  of  the  stable,  her  only  defeat 
being  in  the  Occident  Stake  at  Sacramento,  where  she 
trotted  second  to  Myrtle  in  2:19^2.  She  won  the 
Stanford  Stake  at  the  meeting  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
Trotting  Horse  Breeder's  Association,  taking  a 
record  of  2:23^4,  which  was  two  weeks  later  cut  to 
2:18*4  in  a  trip  against  time  over  the  kite  track  at 
Stockton  during  the  meeting  at  which  Sunol  cut  the 
world's  record  to  2:08^4,  Palo  Alto  placed  the  stal- 
lion record  at  2:08^4,  Arion  moved  the  two-year-old 
record  to  2:10^4,  a  mark  that  has  not  been  changed, 
notwithstanding  the  advent  of  the  bike  sulky. 

Una  Wilkes  won  her  engagements  at  San  Jose, 
Napa,  Oakland  and  Petaluma,  where  she  reduced 
her  record  to  2:19^4,  while  Millie  Wilkes  had  only  a 
third  to  Shylock  at  Napa  to  show  for  the  season's 
work.  After  being  defeated  at  San  Jose  by  Princess 
Alice,  Rupee  won  at  Napa,  Petaluma,  Oakland  and 
San  Francisco,  where  he  made  a  record  of  2:14^  and 
was  third  to  Turk  Franklin  at  Sacramento,  where 
Allanah  won  from  a  field  of  five  and  made  a  record 
of  2:18.  She  also  won  at  Stockton  and  Napa,  but 
was  beaten  in  her  other  engagements  by  Dr.  Swift, 
Gold  Medal,  Charley  C.  and  Hummer.  Of  the  Sable 


1891 — VIDA   WILKES. 


279 


Wilkes  pair  McCleay  was  second  to  Kebir  at  Oak- 
land, distanced  by  Arion  at  Sacramento,  won  at  San 
Jose  in  2:26^,  a  mark  that  was  cut  to  2 122*4  at 
Stockton,  while  Sabina  finished  second  to  Starlight 
at  San  Francisco,  second  to  Arion  at  San  Jose,  where 
he  trotted  in  2:25^,  won  at  Napa  and  Petaluma,  and 
made  her  record  of  2  127^  in  the  first  heat  of  a  stake 
that  was  won  by  Kebir  over  the  Bay  District  track 
at  San  Francisco.  The  Le  Grand  horse,  Beaumont, 
was  also  tried  and  driven  to  a  record  of  2:23^  at 
Stockton,  and  Serena,  a  four-year-old  by  Sidney 
which  John  Goldsmith  bred,  was  also  started  in  seven 
events,  of  which  she  won  three  and  closed  the  season 
with  a  mark  of  2:29^/2.  His  other  starters  appear 
in  the  following  table : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

& 

Second. 

i 

H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Una  Wilkes  
Vida  Wilkes  (3)  .  .. 

2:19# 
2:18# 

Guy  Wilkes  
Guv  Wilkes  

9 

8 

5 

7 

1 
1 

2 

1 

$3.825  00 
3,498  75 

Serena  (4) 

22Q% 

Sidney 

7 

4 

2 

1 

2,350  00 

Rupee  (p) 

2-14K 

Guy  Wilkes 

6 

4 

1 

1 

2,200  00 

Alannah  (p) 

2:18 

Guy  Wilkes 

7 

8 

2 

2 

1,540  00 

Beaumont  

2-2Sl/2 

Le  Grand 

8 

'    1 

8 

1 

2 

1 

1,005  00 

Sabina  (2)  

2:27^ 

Sable  Wilkes 

5 

2 

8 

923  75 

Macleay  (2)  

2:22  y± 

Sable  Wilkes  . 

4 

2 

1 

610  00 

2-25% 

Abbottsfo  rd 

1 

1 

400  00 

Wanda 

Eros 

1 

1 

250  00 

Tippo  Tib 

2-2Q 

Reliance 

2 

« 

1 

1 

215  00 

May  Queen  (2) 

May  Boy 

1 

1 

148  75 

Millie  Wilkes 

Guy  Wilkes 

1 

1 

120  00 

Snecklefritz  (p) 

2-29 

Gladiator  . 

2 

1 

1 

60  00 

Stonewall       

Director  

1 

1 

35  00 

Alwood  K.  (1)  

Woodnut     

1 

1 

16  50 

Perfection  (2)  

Campaign  

1 

Total  

65 

29 

16 

9 

7 

4 

$17,197  75 

280  THE    GOLDSMITHS. 

1892.— JOHN  A.  GOLDSMITH  COMES  EAST. 


Happy  are  thou  as  if  every  day  thou  hads't  picked  up  a  horse 
shoe — Longfellow. 

John  Goldsmith  was  advised  of  his  brother's  death 
while  attending  the  Petaluma  meeting.  He  was  not 
feeling  very  well  at  the  time,  not  having  fully  re- 
covered from  the  effects  of  the  accident  in  which 
he  broke  a  leg  the  year  before,  and  when  the  season 
closed,  he  decided  to  race  in  the  East,  taking  with 
him  a  racing  stable  from  the  San  Mateo  Farm. 
Early  in  1893  he  and  Hickok  crossed  the  Mountains, 
the  former  having  Hulda  and  Azote  and  the  latter 
Muta  Wilkes,  Hazel  Wilkes,  Una  Wilkes,  Rupee, 
Ulee  Wilkes,  Jean  Wilkes  and  Lesa  Wilkes  by  Guy 
Wilkes  and  Oro  Wilkes,  Sabina  and  Sabledale  by 
Sable  Wilkes.  Both  stables  were  given  their  final 
preparation  at  Cleveland.  The  first  start  was  made 
at  Detroit,  where  Muta  Wilkes  won  the  2 130  trot, 
Hulda  being  drawn  on  account  of  sickness,  after  hav- 
ing placed  two  heats  to  her  credit.  Hazel  Wilkes 
after  winning  a  heat  in  2:16%,  finished  second  to 
Honest  George,  and  Una  Wilkes  was  unplaced  to 
Martha  Wilkes.  Hazel  Wilkes  was  again  second  to 
Honest  George  at  Cleveland,  where  Muta  Wilkes 
won  in  2:20%,  and  Rupee  was  awarded  second  pre- 
mium in  the  race  won  by  Grant's  Abdallah.  Gold- 
smith's next  engagements  were  at  Sturgis,  Mich., 
where  he  won  over  the  kite  track  with  Muta  Wilkes, 
Una  Wilkes  and  Oro  Wilkes,  the  latter  also  picking 
up  a  second  in  the  two-year-old  stake  that  Marvin 
won  with  Antella.  Of  his  other  starters  Rupee  was 


1892 — JOHN   A.    GOLDSMITH   COMES   EAST.  281 

third  to  Major  Wonder,  Ulee  Wilkes  third  to  Jack 
Spratt,  Hazel  Wilkes  unplaced  to  Paragon  and  Sabina 
unplaced  to  Belleflower  in  one  of  the  greatest  fields 
of  three-year-olds  that  ever  took  the  word,  the  score 
card  presenting  such  names  as  Jessie  McCorkle, 
Czar,  Kentucky  Union,  Wilkesward,  Piletta  and 
Nyanza. 

After  stopping  a  week  at  Grand  Rapids,  where 
Sabledale  and  Muta  Wilkes  won  their  engagements, 
Una  Wilkes  finishing  fourth  to  Nightingale,  Sabina 
fourth  to  Belleflower,  Jean  Wilkes  third  to  Directum 
and  Hazel  Wilkes  third  to  Martha  Wilkes  in  2:12 
2:14^2,  2:14^4,  the  San  Mateo  Farm  horses  were 
shipped  to  Washington  Park,  Chicago,  for  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Northwestern  Breeder's  Association. 
On  the  opening  day  Oro  Wilkes  won  a  two-year-old 
race  from  Wilkes  Maid  and  Tuscarora  in  2:25^, 
2:25^,  2:28^4,  his  first  being  the  only  one  placed  to 
the  stable's  credit  that  week,  the  score  for  the  black 
colt's  stable  companions  reading  Jean  Wilkes  third 
to  Directum,  Muta  Wilkes  third  to  Geneva,  Azote 
being  between  her  and  the  winner,  Una  Wilkes 
fourth  to  Hamlin's  Nightingale  and  Rupee  third  to 
Flying  Jib.  The  two  weeks'  meeting  at  the  Inde- 
pendence kite  track  was  the  next  stand,  and  when 
the  curtain  rang  down  on  this,  the  greatest  of 
C.  W.  Williams'  ventures,  John  A.  Goldsmith, 
had  $8,400  to  his  credit.  He  won  there  with  Muta 
Wilkes  in  2:1414  2:15,  2:17^,  and  Hazel  Wilkes  in 
2:15^4,  2:14%,  2:i6*/2  and  was  second  to  Silicon  in 
2 :2O_^2  with  Oro  Wilkes,  second  to  Directum  with 
Lallah  Wilkes,  fourth  to  Kentucy  Union  with  Sabina, 
second  to  Hulda  with  Muta  Wilkes,  third  to  St.  Vin- 


282  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

cent  with  Una  Wilkes,  and  distanced  with  Ulee 
Wilkes  and  Lesa  Wilkes,  the  latter  having  the  flag 
fall  in  front  of  her  in  the  two-year-old  race,  after 
winning  a  heat  in  2:20^4.  During  the  meeting  he 
also  gave  Ulee  Wilkes  a  time  record  of  2 123  and 
Sabledale  a  mark  of  2:18^2. 

Jumping  from  Independence  to  Cleveland  for 
the  fall  meeting,  Goldsmith,  on  his  second  appear- 
ance at  the  Glenville  track,  won  with  Jean  Wilkes 
and  Sabledale  over  Princess  Royal,  Mambrino  Swift 
and  Tuscarora,  was  again  second  to  Hulda  with  Muta 
Wilkes,  third  to  Moquette  in  2:13^  with  Una 
Wilkes,  fourth  to  Duchess  with  Ulee  Wilkes  and  un- 
placed to  Muggins  with  Sabina,  and  behind  the 
money  with  Jean  Wilkes  in  the  stake  that  Midnight 
Chimes  won  in  2:18*4,  2:16%,  2:19^4.  The  next 
ship  was  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  where  Goldsmith  won 
with  Muta  Wilkes,  Ulee  Wilkes  and  Oro  Wilkes 
was  second  to  Kentucky  Union  with  Lallah  Wilkes, 
third  to  Lobasco  with  Una  Wilkes  and  second  to 
Blue  Sign  with  Rupee,  after  winning  a  heat  in  2:12^. 

In  October  John  Goldsmith  appeared  in  his  blue 
cap  and  jacket  at  Lexington  after  an  absence  of  thir- 
teen years,  his  former  visit  being  made  in  18^9  with 
Driver.  He  won  a  first  and  a  second  with  Una 
Wilkes,  giving  her  a  mark  of  2:15  in  the  race  she 
lost  to  Greenleaf,  a  first  with  Rupee,  cutting  his  mark 
to  2:11,  a  first  with  Lallah  Wilkes,  while  Sabina 
finished  second  to  Directum,  Oro  Wilkes  third  to 
William  Penn  in  his  first  race  and  fourth  to  Silicon 
in  his  second,  and  Sabina  third  to  Directum,  Hazel 
Wilkes  being  unplaced  in  both  of  the  events  in 
which  she  took  the  word.  She  was  also  unplaced 


1 893 — °RO 


283 


to  Greenleaf  the  following  week  at  Nashville,  where 
Muta  Wilkes  won  a  race  for  four-year-olds,  and  Una 
Wilkes  saved  her  entrance  in  the  race  won  by  Nelly 
Mason.  Lallah  Wilkes  was  also  started  in  three 
races  at  this  meeting,  being  distanced  by  Directum, 
unplaced  by  Henrico  and  third  to  Eli  in  a  mile  dash. 
The  following  table  shows  that  the  San  Mateo  stable 
made  a  very  successful  campaign : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts.  1 

-p 

£ 

Second. 

"g 
g 

Fourth.  1 

Unplaced! 

Amount 
Won. 

Muta  Wilkes  (4)  .  . 

2:14^ 

Guy  Wilkes     

10 

7 

2 

1 

$15  875  00 

Oro  Wilkes  (2)  .... 

2:21% 

Sable  Wilkes  

7 

2 

3 

1 

1 

4,650  00 

Hazel  Wilkes  (7)  . 

2:14^ 

Guy  Wilkes 

8 

1 

2 

1 

4 

3,800  00 

Sabina  (2)  

2:27^ 

Sable  Wilkes  

6 

1 

1 

?, 

2 

2,225  00 

Una  Wilkes  (6)  .... 
Rupee  (p,  5)  
Sabledale  (2)  
Lallah  Wilkes  (3)  .  . 

2:15 
2:11 
2:18^ 
2:26 

Guy  Wilkes  
Guy  Wilkes  
Sable  Wilkes  
Sable  Wilkes  

10 
5 

2 
6 

2 
1 
2 

1 

1 
2 

3 

3 
2 

3 

1 
2 

2,575  00 
1,425  00 
1,25000 
97500 

Ulee  Wilkes  (4) 

2-23 

Guy  Wilkes 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

605  00 

Jean  Wilkes  (3) 

2-24K 

Guy  Wilkes 

4 

1 

1 

1 

1 

550  00 

Lesa  Wilkes  (2) 

2-28% 

Guy  Wilkes 

1 

1 

Total 

as 

18 

15 

11 

7 

Ifl 

$33,930  00 

1893— ORO  WILKES. 


Arion,    Bevis,   Borak   all   in   one.    * 

The  campaign  of  1893  was  the  most  successful 
in  the  history  of  the  San  Mateo  Farm.  With  ten 
horses,  three  of  which  were  not  owned  by  William 
Corbitt,  although  one  of  them  was  foaled  on  his 


284  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

farm,  John  Goldsmith  started  in  eighty-two  races, 
of  which  he  won  twenty-three,  was  second  in 
twenty,  and  was  awarded  premiums  amounting  to 
$47,565.  After  a  preliminary  skirmish  at  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Meadville  meetings,  at  which  he  picked 
up  two  firsts  with  Siva,  a  second  and  a  third  with 
Sabina,  a  second  with  Hazel  Wilkes  and  a  second 
with  Ben  Ali,  Goldsmith  wheeled  into  line  at  Pitts- 
burg  for  the  last  Grand  Circuit  meeting  held  over 
Homewood  Park.  On  the  opening  day  he  started 
Double  Cross  and  Sabina,  the  former  finishing  third 
to  Fantasy  and  the  latter  second  to  Miss  Lida  in 
2:16^2.  On  the  following  day  Chris  Lang  won  the 
race  for  two-year-olds,  making  a  record  of  2:263/2, 
and  Muta  Wilkes  defeated  Wardwell,  Miss  Alice, 
Aline  and  Elko  in  the  2:15  class,  cutting  her  mark 
to  2:13^4.  Of  Goldsmith's  other  starters,  Hazel 
Wilkes  finished  third  to  Martha  Wilkes  in  the  free- 
for-all,  and  Sabina  was  second  to  Silver  Star,  the 
latter  being  forced  to  step  to  2:16^  in  the  first  heat 
to  stall  off  Beautiful  Chimes.  This  gave  Goldsmith 
a  line  on  the  brown  gelding's  speed,  and  when  he 
started  favorite  in  the  Merchants'  and  Manufac- 
turers' Stake  at  Detroit  the  following  week,  he 
backed  Siva  with  confidence  and  won  in  2:141/2, 
2:13^4,  2:16^2.  She  was  all  in  at  the  finish,  and  after 
being  unplaced  to  Bellini  at  Buffalo  and  behind  the 
money  in  tfce  race  Prince  Herschel  won  at  Rochester, 
Goldsmith  sent  her  home. 

On  the  trip  down  the  line  Chris  Lang  won  the 
two-year-old  stake  at  Detroit,  but  failed  to  show  in 
front  again  during  the  season,  Director's  Flower 
having  too  much  speed  for  him  at  Cleveland,  Buffalo, 


1 893 — ORO  WILKES.  285 

Rochester,  Springfield  and  New  York,  while  he  was 
beaten  by  Cut  Glass  at  Providence,  unplaced  to 
Nellie  A.  at  Lexington  and  fourth  to  Axinite  at 
Nashville.  Double  Cross  won  at  Buffalo,  where  she 
made  a  record  of  2:1834  and  one  of  the  races  in  which 
she  was  started  at  New  York,  the  record  of  her  other 
starts  showing  a  second  to  Fantasy  at  Detroit,  sec- 
ond to  Oriole  at  Cleveland,  second  to  Fantasy  at 
Rochester,  second  to  Margrave  at  New  York,  third  to 
Nemoline  and  fourth  to  Bellini  at  Providence,  un- 
placed to  Bellini  at  Boston  and  third  to  Fantasy  at 
Nashville  in  the  race  in  which  the  Chimes  filly  cut 
the  world's  record  for  three-year-old  trotters  to 
2:0834. 

Muta  Wilkes  cut  her  mark  to  2:11  at  Detroit, 
where  she  won  a  heat  from  Hulda.  At  Cleveland 
she  was  drawn  after  the  second  heat  of  the  race  won 
by  Little  Albert.  Hulda  defeated  her  at  Buffalo  and 
New  York,  and  she  was  unplaced  to  Walter  E.  at 
Rochester.  These  failures  were  followed  by  four 
firsts  at  Philadelphia,  Providence  and  Boston,  where 
she  defeated  Fanny  Wilcox,  Martha  Wilkes  and 
Jean  Valjean.  Hazel  Wilkes  trotted  the  race  of  her 
life  at  Cleveland,  where  she  took  the  word  with  Pix- 
ley,  Dr.  Sparks,  Wardwell,  Dandy,  Miss  Alice  and 
White  Stockings.  Dr.  Sparks  won  the  first  two 
heats  in  2:1334,  2:13^2.  Hazel  Wilkes  showed  in 
front  in  the  third  and  made  her  record  of  2:11*4. 
Pixley  was  then  awarded  two  firsts  in  2:143/4,  2:1454* 
after  which  the  Guy  Wilkes  mare  gathered  in  the 
laurels  with  two  miles  in  2:13,  2:16%.  After  this 
event  she  was  defeated  by  Phoebe  Wilkes  at  Buffalo, 
Pixley  at  Rochester,  and  Directum  at  New  York. 


286  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

At  Providence  she  won  the  free-for-all  from  Jean 
Valjean,  Martha  Wilkes  and  Belle  Archer,  after 
which  she  was  second  to  Pamlico  at  Lexington  and 
second  to  Directum  at  Nashville,  when  he  made  his 
record  of  2:05*4. 

Sabina  made  her  record  of  2:155^  when  she  won  at 
Rochester,  after  being  defeated  by  Courier  at  Detroit, 
Miss  Lida  at  Cleveland  and  Prince  Herschel  at  Buf- 
falo. She  also  won  again  at  Springfield  at  the  last 
Grand  Circuit  meeting  held  over  Hampden  Park, 
but  was  third  to  Harry  C.  at  Providence,  unplaced 
to  Caprice  at  Boston,  fourth  to  Charley  C.  at  Lex- 
ington and  third  to  the  same  horse  at  Nashville. 
Oro  Wilkes  was  not  started  until  the  stable  reached 
Buffalo,  where  he  trotted  second  to  Margrave.  His 
next  starts  were  at  Springfield,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia and  Mystic  Park,  Boston,  all  of  which  he  won, 
his  record  being  reduced  to  2:15%  at  Philadelphia, 
where  he  defeated  Myrtle  R.  and  William  Penn  in  a 
five-heat  race.  At  the  meeting  of  the  New  England 
Trotting  Horse  Breeders  Association,  this  great 
three-year-old  took  the  word  with  nine  others  in  the 
2 :2O  class.  Early  Bird  won  the  first  two  heats  and 
Jay  Hawker  the  next  three.  In  the  deciding  heat 
Goldsmith  stepped  Oro  Wilkes  up  to  second  place  in 
2:16  and  secured  third  money.  The  race  keyed  him 
up  for  his  engagement  in  the  Representative  Stallion 
Stake  at  Lexington,  where,  after  Medio  had  gather- 
ed in  two  heats  in  2:14%,  2:14^,  the  Sable  Wilkes 
colt  went  on  and  won  in  2:15,  2:16%,  2:17%-  Tnis 
stake  was  worth  $9,850  to  the  winner.  After  trott- 
ing second  to  Eoline  on  the  last  day  of  the  Lexing- 
ton meeting  Oro  Wilkes  was  retired  for  the  season, 
during  which  he  won  '$13,925. 


l8Q3 — ORO  WILKES. 


287 


Of  the  other  horses  in  Goldsmith's  stable  Island 
Wilkes  trotted  third  to  Lobasco  at  Detroit,  won  at 
Rochester  in  2:17^4,  2:13%,  2:13^4,  after  losing  a 
heat  to  Corinne,  and  was  unplaced  at  Springfield 
and  New  York.  Una  Wilkes  was  unplaced  to  Pixley 
at  Buffalo,  third  to  Azote  at  Springfield,  outside  of 
the  money  in  the  race  won  by  Prince  Herschel  at 
Lexington,  and  third  to  Pamlico  at  Nashville.  Ben 
Ali  was  also  tried  in  good  society  at  Philadelphia, 
where  he  was  third  to  Daylight,  and  at  Providence, 
where  he  was  unplaced  in  the  2:21  class.  After 
this  showing  John  Goldsmith  decided  that  the  Pat- 
chen  gelding  was  not  up  to  the  standard  and  sold 
him.  When  next  heard  from  Ben  Ali  was  being 
"rung"  as  Home  Brewed.  He  was  detected  and 
expelled,  but  subsequently  raced  as  an  outlaw  as 
John  Y.,  Sagwa,  Weskora,  etc.  The  following  table 
presents  the  returns  for  1893. 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

1 

Second. 

5 

is 

H 

Fourth. 

Unplaced 

Amount 
Won. 

Oro  Wilkes  (3)  .... 
Double  Cross  (3)  .  . 

2:15 

2:18% 

Sable  Wilkes  
Sable  Wilkes  

9 

6 

2 
5 

1 
3 

1 

1 

$13,925  00 
7,900  00 

Muta  Wilkes  
Sabina  (3) 

2:11 

Guy  Wilkes  
Sable  Wilkes 

10 
14 

5 
2 

2 
^ 

2 
4 

1 
2 

5.750  00 
5590  00 

Siva              

2:13^ 

Guy  Wilkes  

5 

8 

1 

1 

4,750  00 

Chris  Lang  (2)  .... 
Hazel  Wilkes  

2:26^ 
2:11  % 

Sable  Wilkes  , 
Guy  Wilkes  

11 

9 

2 

fl 

3 
8 

1 
4 

3 

2 

4,000  00 
3,475  00 

Island  Wilkes  

2-13^ 

Red  Wilkes       

4 

1 

1 

2 

1,300  00 

Geo  M.  Patchen,  Jr 

4 

2 

2 

500  00 

Una  Wilkes 

Guy  Wilkes  

4 

2 

2 

375  00 

Total            

82 

23 

20 

IS 

10 

14 

$47,565  00 

288  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

1894.— MARY  BEST— ALAR. 


Like  an  arrow  of  light  she  flashed  through  the  field, 
Passed  Bowne  and  challenged  the  black; 
Aunt  Delilah  was  beaten  and  Judge  Fisher  reeled, 
As  Mary  Best  burned  up  the  track. 
She  was  not  in  the  play  and  brought  many  to  grief, 
When   she   trimmed   the  brown   horse  and   crumpled   Rose 
Leaf. 

John  Goldsmith  spent  the  winter  of  1893-4  in  the 
old  homestead  at  Walnut  Grove  Farm  in  Orange 
County,  his  California  bred  horses  and  the  few  others 
which  he  had  accepted  for  the  campaign  of  1894  occu- 
pying the  box  stalls  which  had  in  former  days  sheltered 
the  descendants  of  Volunteer,  and  when  he  shipped 
to  Cleveland  to  fill  his  Grand  Circuit  engagements, 
Alden,  the  only  son  of  his  brother,  was  acting  as  his 
assistant.  John  was  not  feeling  any  too  well  at  the 
time,  but  when  the  bell  rang  at  Detroit  in  July  he 
was  ready  for  the  word  and  won  with  the  Alcantara 
mare  Alar  in  2:14^,  while  Oro  Wilkes  was  third  to 
Azote,  Mary  Best,  a  sister  to  Muta  Wilkes,  fourth  to 
Rose  Leaf,  and  the  Albert  W.  pacer  Amelia  fourth 
to  Joe  Patchen.  At  Cleveland  the  following  week 
Rose  Leaf  was  considered  invincible.  When  Col. 
Edwards  gave  the  word  she  was  a  favorite  over  the 
field,  and  when  the  .result  was  announced  it  was 
found  that  she  had  saved  her  entrance.  E.  R.  Bowne 
stepped  out  in  the  first  two  heats  and  won  with  Ma- 
hogany in  2:13,  2\i2IA.  As  the  Bayonne  Prince  stal- 
lion had  never  gone  such  a  clip  before,  he  faltered  in 
the  third  mile  and  Goldsmith  won  with  Mary  Best 
in  2:12^4,  her  record.  After  that  it  was  all  over  but 


1 894 — MARY   BEST — ALAR.  289 

the  shouting,  the  Guy  Wilkes  mare  winning  the  next 
two  heats  cleverly  in  2:131/2,  2:15^.  Of  the  stable's 
other  starters  Alar  won  the  2:23  class  in  straight 
heats,  Oro  Wilkes  was  second  to  Azote  in  2:10, 
while  Burlingame,  Muta  Wilkes,  Lesa  Wilkes, 
Paul  and  Judge  Austin  were  unplaced.  The  last 
two  were  turned  over  to  W.  H.  McCarthy  after  the 
Buffalo  meeting,  where  they  saved  their  entrance 
in  the  races  won  by  Hal  Braden  and  J.  M.  D., 
respectively. 

Mary  Best  and  Alar  won  again  at  Buffalo,  where 
Arena  picked  up  first  money  in  the  2 124  class,  a 
record  of  2:15^  going  with  it.  Of  the  other  starters 
Whalebone  won  a  2:30  class  for  two-year-olds  in 
2:27^4?  2:27*^  and  trotted  second  to  Marie  D.  in 
another  event,  Amelia  was  unplaced  to  Joe  Patchen 
and  Ada,  Oro  Wilkes  third  to  Azote  and  Muta 
Wilkes  unplaced  to  Pamlico.  The  following  week 
the  stable  was  split,  the  Alcantara  pair  Alar  and 
Arena  going  to  Rochester,  where  both  of  them  were 
beaten  by  Carldon.  The  balance  of  the  stable  was 
at  Terre  Haute,  where  Venita  Wilkes  won  in 
2  126,  Mary  Best  trotted  second  to  Silicon  in  the  Terre 
Haute  Purse,  Oro  Wilkes  second  to  Trevillian,  Lesa 
Wilkes  second  to  Ballona  and  Whalebone  unplaced 
to  Boreal. 

After  starting  at  Chicago,  where  Whalebone  won 
the  Juvenile  Stake  in  2:24  and  trotted  third  to  Oak- 
land Baron,  Oro  Wilkes  second  to  Trevillian,  Muta 
Wilkes  fourth  to  Pamlico  and  Amelia  unplaced  to 
Star  Pointer,  the  stable  was  shipped  to  Hartford  for 
the  stake  meeting  at  Charter  Oak  Park,  during  which 
John  Goldsmith  drove  in  nine  races  and  won  $16,569 


290  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

in  premiums.  On  the  first  two  days  he  won  with 
Arena,  Whalebone,  Mary  Best  and  Oro  Wilkes.  On 
the  third  day,  when  the  Charter  Oak  Stake  was  called, 
he  appeared  behind  Mahogany  and  won  second 
money,  the  ^honors  going  to  Ralph  Wilkes.  Alar 
also  won  her  engagement  in  2:11^4,  2:13,  2:14,  after 
losing  two  heats  to  Carldon,  Muta  Wilkes  was  third 
to  Belleflower,  Amelia  unplaced  to  Judge  Sterling 
and  Burlingame  behind  the  money  in  the  stake  won 
by  Nellie  A. 

Alar  was  marked  in  2:11  at  Fleetwood  Park,  New 
York,  the  first  week  in  September.  She  was  started 
in  the  2:11  class  with  Phoebe  Wilkes,  J.  M.  D.,  Cob- 
webs and  Aunt  Delilah,  the  latter  being  distanced  in 
the  first  heat  which  Alar  won  in  2:11^  with  J.  M.  D. 
second.  The  next  heat  went  to  Phoebe  Wilkes  in 
2:13,  after  which  Alar  scored  again  in  2:11.  On  the 
next  trip  Phoebe  Wilkes  was  first  under  the  wire  in 
2:11^4,  after  which  the  race  went  over  to  the  follow- 
ing day,  when  Alar  won  in  2:13^.  At  this  meeting 
Amelia  was  second  to  G.  O.  Taylor,  Oro  Wilkes 
third  to  Fanny  Wilcox,  Lesa  Wilkes  fourth  to  Ralph 
Wilkes,  Whalebone  second  to  Miss  Kate  and  Burlin- 
game distanced  by  Red  Bud.  The  following  week 
during  the  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Trotting 
Horse  Breeder's  Association,  which  was  also  held  at 
Fleetwood,  John  Goldsmith  won  with  Whalebone 
and  Mountain  Maid  and  was  distanced  with  Venita 
Wilkes  after  winning  two  heats.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  the  stable  were  on  the  same  dates  at  Phila- 
delphia, where  Oro  Wilkes  gathered  in  a  first,  Lesa 
Wilkes  a  second  in  the  race  won  by  Ralph  Wilkes, 
and  Arena  lost  his  entrance  in  the  event  awarded 


1894 — MARY   BEST — ALAR. 


291 


Sallie  Simmons,  After  a  trip  to  Providence,  where 
Mountain  Maid  was  beaten  by  Sirock  and  Miss  Car- 
roll, Arena  second  to  Margaret  L.,  Hilda  S.  third  to 
Sirock,  Whalebone  second  to  Amboise,  Mary  Best 
unplaced  to  Aunt  Delilah  and  Venita  Wilkes  won  in 
2:22*4,  the  Goldsmith  stable  was  shipped  to  Lexing- 
ton where  Venita  Wilkes  won  a  first  and  a  third, 
making  a  record  of  2:14*4,  Alar  saved  her  entrance 
in  the  Transylvania  won  by  Azote  and  Mary  Best 
was  fourth  to  Ballona. 

Nashville  was  the  last  stand,  and  it  also  proved 
the  stopping  place  of  John  Goldsmith's  turf  career. 
He  won  there  with  Alar,  equalling  her  record  of  2:11 
in  the  first  heat  of  her  race,  was  second  to  Heir  at 
Law  with  Mary  Best,  and  won  the  2 140  stake  with 
Venita  Wilkes  in  2:15,  2:13,  2:14^4,  after  losing  a 
heat  to  Red  Bud.  This  was  his  last  mount.  The 
following  table  presents  a  synopsis  of  the  campaign : 


Starters. 

Record. 

Sire. 

Starts. 

CO 

u 

£ 

Second. 

T3 
In 

g 

Fourth. 

t 
p 

Amount 
Won. 

Mary  Best  

2:12  Y4 

Guy  Wilkes  

8 

3 

2 

2 

1 

$15,900  00 

Alar    

2:11 

Alcantara  

9 

7 

1 

1 

11,250  00 

Oro  Wilkes  

2:11 

Sable  Wilkes  

8 

?, 

3 

3 

2,000  00 

Whalebone  (2)  .... 

2:24 

Sable  Wilkes  

9 

4 

1 

3 

1 

3,596  00 

Venita  Wilkes.  .   .. 

2:13 

Guy  Wilkes 

8 

4 

1 

3 

3300  00 

Mahogany  

Bayonne  Prince 

1 

1 

2,500  00 

Arena           

2:15% 

Alcantara  ... 

5 

?, 

1 

2 

1,773  00 

Lesa  Wilkes  
Amelia  (p) 

2-.ny2 

Guy  Wilkes  
Albert  W 

4 

6 

2 
1 

9 

1 

1 

^ 

1,70000 
675  00 

Mountain  Maid.  .. 

2:22% 

Anteeo  

3 

1 

1 

1 

580  00 

Paul 

Bald  Hornet 

2 

1 

1 

500  00 

Muta  Wilkes 

Guy  Wilkes 

4 

1 

1 

2 

300  00 

Judge  Austin 

McCurdy's  Hamblet'n 

2 

1 

1 

200  00 

Hilda  S     

Stamboul  

1 

1 

120  00 

Burlingame  

Guy  Wilkes  

3 

3 

Total  

73 

23 

12 

12 

8 

18 

$47,394  00 

292  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

DEATH  OF  JOHN  A.  GOLDSMITH. 

Death  treads  in  pleasure's  footsteps  round  the  world. 

—  Young. 

When  John  Goldsmith  returned  to  Walnut  Grove 
Farm  from  Nashville,  he  was  very  much  concerned 
about  his  physical  condition.  In  fourteen  years  he 
had  amassed  a  fortune  amounting  to  over  $200,000, 
the  bulk  of  it  having  been  earned  by  fortunate  in- 
vestments in  horses  or  drawn  from  the  betting  ring, 
and  now  at  a  time  when  he  could  have  settled  down 
in  the  home  of  his  ancestors,  there  was  one  jewel 
missing  from  the  cabinet — health.  In  three  years  he 
had  with  twenty-eight  horses  won  premiums  amount- 
ing to  $128,889,  their  two  hundred  and  eighteen  starts 
being  divided  into  sixty-four  firsts,  forty-seven 
seconds,  thirty-eight  thirds,  twenty-five  fourths  and 
forty-four  times  unplaced.  This  was  in  itself  glory 
enough  for  one  man  in  the  field  of  harness  racing, 
but  like  his  brother  before  him,  John  Alden  Gold- 
smith, would  not  stop  until  exhausted  nature  de- 
manded a  halt.  Early  in  1895,  acting  under  the  ad- 
vice of  a  number  of  New  York  surgeons,  he  had  an 
operation  performed  for  kidney  trouble.  He  recov- 
ered, was  married  and,  after  resting  for  a  time  in 
Orange  County,  saw  Alden  start  off  for  the  races 
with  a  few  of  his  horses.  He  started  Elf  and  Thelma 
at  Poughkeepsie,  Albany  and  Rome,  where  Thelma 
won  a  seven-heat  race  and  made  a  record  of  2:24*4. 
Elf  also  won  two  races  at  Syracuse  and  made  a 
record  of  2 :22j4  m  one  of  them. 

In  September  when  the  Grand  Circuit  horses  were 
at  Fleetwood,  John  was  about  among  his  friends  and 


DEATH   OF   JOHN   A.    GOLDSMITH. 


293 


a  few  thought  that,  with  another  season's  rest,  he 
would  be  back  in  the  sulky.  The  hope,  however, 
only  proved  the  bright  flicker  of  the  candle  when  it 
has  burned  deep  in  the  socket,  as  in  November  the 
kidney  trouble  returned.  Another  operation  was 
imperative.  Two  weeks  later,  Johnny  Goldsmith 
was  dead,  Friday,  December  13,  1895,  being  the  date 
of  the  sad  event.  His  remains  were  taken  to  Walnut 
Grove  Farm,  which  he  purchased  after  the  death  of 
his  father.  On  the  following  Monday  he  was  laid 
by  the  side  of  his  father  and  brother  in  the  village 
cemetery.  He  was  the  ablest  and  most  energetic  of 
his  line,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  following  table,  which 
presents  a  synopsis  of  his  work  in  the  sulky  from  the 
year  that  he  took  Driver  to  Chicago  until  he  answered 
the  bell  for  the  last  time  at  Nashville  in  1894: 


Year. 

barters. 

-2 
t 

d 

4J 

c 

•d 

c 

i 

'^ 

4J 

1 

"8) 

$3 

Amount 
Won. 

72 

to 

£ 

« 

EH 

fa 

P 

1879 

5 

17 

4 

3 

6 

1 

3 

$  3,675.00 

1880 

5 

63 

21 

17 

10 

5 

10 

14,335.00 

1881 

3 

7 

4 

1 

2 

2,175.00 

1882 

5 

14 

7 

5 

1 

1 

4,085.00 

1883 

2 

24 

12 

6 

3 

1 

2 

21,030.00 

1884 

12 

46 

29 

12 

3 

2 

15,867.50 

1885 

13 

60 

19 

19 

15 

4 

3 

11,647.50 

1886 

15 

62 

29 

19 

10 

4 

14,047.50 

1887 

13 

60 

25 

15 

11 

5 

4 

9,136.25 

1888 

10 

27 

18 

6 

3 

8,322.50 

1889 

15 

39 

20 

10 

4 

3 

2 

8,433.75 

1890 

19 

66 

37 

15 

11 

1 

2 

17,057.25 

1891 

17 

65 

29 

16 

9 

7 

4 

17,197.75 

1892 

11 

63 

18 

15 

11 

7 

12 

33,930.00 

1893 

10 

82 

23 

20 

15 

10 

14 

47,565.00 

1894 

15 

73 

23 

12 

12 

8 

18 

47,394.00 

Totals  . 

170 

768 

318 

191 

123 

56 

81 

$275,899.00 

294  THE   GOLDSMITHS. 

John  H.  Goldsmith's  style  in  the  sulky  was  pecu- 
liar. With  elbows  and  hands  almost  on  a  level  with 
his  shoulders,  he  rustled  the  Guy  Wilkes  family  into 
the  front  rank  with  a  vim  and  a  dash  that  was  electri- 
cal. Many  of  the  old  timers  considered  it  faulty,  as 
he  had  very  little  control  over  a  horse  with  his  hands 
so  high  that  the  reins  were  almost  lifting  the  terrets 
out  of  the  back  pad,  but  they  overlooked  the  fact  that 
a  shift  of  the  bit  and  a  light  tap  with  the  whip  was 
all  that  his  pupils  required  after  he  had  completed 
their  education.  No  one  ever  saw  a  better  mannered 
or  purer  gaited  lot  of  horses.  They  were  the  evi- 
dence of  John  Goldsmith's  skill  as  a  trainer  and,  as 
he  seldom  broke  one  down,  his  skill  as  a  conditioner 
must  be  put  on  a  par  with  his  success  as  a  reinsman. 
The  following  from  the  columns  of  the  "Breeder  and 
Sportsman"  is  very  much  to  the  point  in  this  particu- 
lar: 

"As  a  judge  of  horses,  he  was  one  of  the  best,  and 
whenever  he  selected  a  colt  or  filly  and  concluded  it 
was  worthy  of  being  entered  in  a  stake  or  purse  race, 
he  never  gave  it  up  until  he  proved  his  prediction  cor- 
rect. A  visitor  at  the  San  Mateo  Farm  said  'the 
rapidity  with  which  he  would  select  yearlings,  two- 
year-olds  and  three-year-olds,  and  insist  upon  them 
being  entered  for  stake  events,  was  most  remarkable, 
and  after  the  races  ended  I  always  noted  that  he  made 
no  mistakes  in  his  selections.' 

"As  a  judge  of  pace,  he  was  one  out  of  a  thousand. 
He  could  time  quarters  and  eighths  without  a  watch, 
and  tell  just  how  fast  he  was  going.  He  was  a 
peculiar  driver,  carrying  his  hands  high,  and  never 
used  a  whip  or  artificial  appliances  to  make  his  colts 


DEATH   OF   JOHN   A.    GOLDSMITH.  295 

and  fillies  trot  or  pace  fast.  -He  never  shod  a  de- 
scendant of  Guy  Wilkes  forward  with  a  shoe  heavier 
than  ten  ounces  in  front  or  lighter  than  five  ounces 
behind.  And  when  he  got  behind  a  horse  the  animal 
seemed  to  be  imbued  with  the  magnetic  force  so 
prominent  in  him.  He  could  keep  a  horse  tiptoeing 
without  breaking  longer  than  any  one  who  ever  sat 
in  a  sulky,  and  for  rallying  a  tired  horse  and  keeping 
him  doing  his  utmost  to  the  wire,  we  all  remember  a 
number  of  exhibitions  of  this  kind  he  gave  us. 

"He  has  gone !  His  pleasant  smile  and  merry 
twinkling  eyes  have  been  dimmed ;  his  kindly  voice 
been  hushed;  the  blue  jacket  and  cap  which  he 
wore  so  neatly  have  been  laid  away  forever,  and  only 
the  remembrance  of  that  strong,  manly  figure  among 
the  greatest  turf  generals  of  the  last  decade  remains. 
In  the  ranks  which  he  graced  so  well ;  in  the  center 
of  the  little  groups  of  social  friends  that  hovered 
around  him ;  by  the  fireside  where  his  love  and  kind- 
ness were  at  all  times  manifest,  his  place  will  never 
be  filled.  He  has  gone  the  path  we  all  must  go,  and, 
even  though  we  live  for  many  years,  we  shall  never 
forget  the  impressions  his  individuality  left  upon  the 
tablets  of  our  memory,  for  there,  and  only  there,  shall 
we  gaze  upon  his  kindly  face  again." 

The  story  of  John  Goldsmith  has  been  told  and  I  shall 

"No  further  seek  his  merits  to  disclose. 
Or  draw  his  frailities  from  their  dread  abode, 
(There  they  alike  in  trembling  hope  repose,) 
The  bosom  of  his  Father  and  his  God." 

Such  is  the  story  of  the  Goldsmiths.  John  died 
without  issue.  James  left  a  son,  Alden,  who  is  fol- 


296  THE  GOLDSMITHS. 

lowing  his  fathers  profession.  Their  memory  will 
endiire  when  all  those  who  knew  them  have  passed 
away.  In  years  to  come  visitors  to  the  village  ceme- 
tery where  their  ashes  lie  interred,  will  ask  for  the 
spot. 

"Where  is  £he  grave  of  the  Knight  of  Orellian? 

Where  may  the  grave  of  that  good  Knight  be? 

By  the  marge  of  a  brook  on  the  slope  of  Helvellyn, 

Under  the  boughs  *)f  a  young  birch-tree. 

The  oak  that  in  summer  was  pleasant  to  hear, 

That  rustled  in  autumn  all  withered  and  sere, 

That  whistled  and  groaned  through  the  winter  alone — 

He  hath  gone,  and  a  birch  in  his  place  has  grown! 

The    Knight's    bones    are    dust 

His  good  sword  is  rust — 

His  spirit  is  with  the  saints, 
We  trust!" 


THE  QUEEN. 

Bear  the  crown  to  Lou  Dillon,  the  queen  of  the  turf, 
That  startled  the  world  when  she  turned  Readville 

Park, 

With  her  hoof  beats  as  swift  as  the  sobs  of  the  surf, 
When  wind  bends  the  trees  and  the  storm  clouds 
are  dark. 

The  big  star  in  her  face  and  her  coat  of  old  gold, 
Were  wet  with   her   sweat  when   the   crowd   cried 
"She'll  win/' 

But  each  stride  was  as  true  and  her  action  as  bold, 
As  when  the  bell  tapped  for  the  trial  to  begin. 

In  the  rosy  hued  past  a  few  looked  for  the  day, 
A  trotter  would  march  to  the  two-minute  score, 

Until  Lou  Dillon  found  the  blue  ribbon  of  clay 
As  soft  as  a  glove  and  as  firm  as  a  floor. 

The  salt  air  was  as  crisp  as  a  morning  in  June, 

The  flag  on  the  stables  hung  limp  to  the  pole, 
The   surroundings  all   showed  the  time   most  oppor- 
tune, 

'Twas  grasped,  the  mare  started,  she  flashed  to  the 
goal. 

'Twas  the  hope  of  her  breeder  to  raise  such  a  horse, 
He  saw  her  developed  and  trot  in  two  eight ; 

When  death  claimed  him  it  made  the  sole  strain  of 

remorse 
Which  clung  to  the  mile  at  the  two-minute  rate. 

When  his  stable  was  scattered,  the  matinee  king, 
Who  loves  a  fast  horse  for  the  road  or  the  park, 

Was  enthused  with  her  speed,  bid  her  off  in  the  ring, 
And  trained  her  and  raced  her  to  lower  the  mark. 

'Tis  of  Billings  I  speak,  the  new  king  of  the  road, 
Successor  to  Bonner,  the  road  drivers'  dean, 

And   in   Billings   dame   nature   has   reaped   what   she 

sowed, 
His  father  owned  Princess  and  he  has  the  Queen. 


OLD  BILL. 


With  a  neigh  so  faint  and  feeble  that  it  touched  me  like  a 

groan, 

"Farewell, "he  seemed  to  murmur,  "ere  I  die;" 
Then  set  his  teeth  and  stretched  his  limbs,  and  so  I   stood 

alone, 
While  the  merry  chase  went  heedless  sweeping  by, 

Am  I  womanly  and  weak 

If  the  tear  was  on  my  cheek 
For  a  brotherhood  that  death  could  thus  divide? 

If,  sickened  and  amazed, 

Through  a  woful  mist  I  gazed, 
On  the  place  where  the  old  horse  died.— Melville. 

Carey  was  the  life  of  the  shanty.  When  I  first 
met  him  he  was  a  man  of  about  twenty-four,  standing- 
six  foot  in  his  shoes,  as  strong  as  an  ox,  and  ready  to 
fight  his  weight  in  wild  cats.  That  winter — -it  was 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixties — he  was  the  boss  of  the 
log  gang.  For  some  reason  or  other,  the  men  under 
him  were  always  on  the  jump  and  the  books  showed 
that  they  did  more  work  than  any  in  the  bush.  From 
morning  until  night  Carey  always  had  a  good  word 
for  the  men.  and  there  never  was  a  time  when  he 
would  not  take  hold  with  a  cant  hook  or  handspike  to- 
help  out.  Later  on  in  the  spring  it  would  have  done 
your  heart  good  to  have  seen  him  step  about  on  the 
logs  in  a  jam  or  ride  a  stick  of  timber  over  the  water 
as  high  and  dry  as  if  he  were  in  the  cabin  of  a  steam- 
boat. Carey  was  a  dream  in  shanty  life,  sure  enough. 


CAREY'S  CLEARING  301 

With  the  breaking  up  of  the  camp  he  passed  out 
of  my  life  for  over  ten  years.  How  I  met-  him  again 
came  about  in  this  way :  I  was  walking  across 
country  on  what  might  be  called  a  visiting  tour,  the 
next  point  of  attack  being  a  distant  relation  living 
near  North  Gower,  in  the  County  of  Carleton.  It 
was  a  warm  day,  along  towards  the  latter  part  of 
June,  when  a  farmer,  who  had  given  me  a  lift  from 
Becket/s  Landing,  dropped  me  at  a  corner  of  what  he 
called  the  Concession.  On  our  way  over  I  told  him 
where  I  was  going,  and  before  parting  he  said  that  I 
could  cut  off  three  or  four  miles  of  the  journey  by 
going  through  the  bush  by  way  of  a  place  called 
Carey's  Clearing.  In  those  days  I  was  not  very  par- 
ticular whether  I  lost  my  way  in  the  woods  or  not,  so 
I  struck  into  the  bush  on  what  looked  like  an  old 
winter  road,  but  which  proved  to  be  the  eastern  out- 
let for  the  man  who  had  made  the  clearing.  After 
walking  for  what  seemed  to  me  at  least  an  hour,  I 
came  to  a  bush  fence,  and  farther  on,  three  or  four 
rails  across  a  gap  between  the  roots  of  two  trees  that 
had  been  blown  over,  with  considerable  soil  and  earth 
still  clinging  to  them.  As  the  road  led  to  it,  I  knew 
that  it  must  be  the  entrance  to  the  clearing,  and  as  I 
could  step  on  the  head  of  my  shadow  I  knew  that  it 
was  midday ;  but  where  was  a  hungry  traveler  going 
to  get  a  meal  in  that  "neck  of  woods?"  With  this 
thought  uppermost,  I  slipped  between  the  bars  and 
made  a  survey  of  the  clearing.  As  near  as  I  could 
see,  there  was  a  patch  of  corn  and  potatoes  at  one 
side  of  it,  while  to  the  left  there  appeared  to  be  a 
bunch  of  hay  and  a  few  acres  of  either  oats  or  wheat 
growing  in  the  rich  virgin  soil,  while  the  black 


302  OLD 

stumps  and  rampikes  standing  like  sentinels  all  over 
the  clearing  showed  that  fire  had  lent  a  hand  in  mak- 
ing this  opening  in  the  forest.  A  tidy  looking  log  cabin 
stood  on  a  sandy  knoll  in  the  middle  of  the  opening. 
Back  of  it  I  could  also  see  the  end  of  a  stable  or  small 
barn,  as  well  as  a  mound  of  earth,  which  I  afterwards 
learned  was  a  root  house. 

While  I  was  taking  observations  the  door  of 
the  cabin  opened  and  who  should  appear  at  the 
threshold  but  dear  old  Carey  of  shanty  days.  He  did 
not  look  a  day  older  as  he  stood  there  with  his  shaggy 
hair  and  beard  silhouetted  against  the  sky.  A  home- 
made flannel  shirt  open  at  the' neck,  a  broad  belt,  and 
a  pair  of  overalls  stuck  in  the  tops  of  a  pair  of  cow- 
hide boots,  completed  his  outfit.  He  recognized  me 
before  I  could  speak,  and  the  memory  of  his  "I  swan, 
where  did  you  drop  from,"  comes  back  with  a  relish 
after  a  lapse  of  twenty  years.  "Come  in,  old  sailor 
boy,  and  have  a  bite  to  eat.  I  knew  someone  was 
coming,  and  so  I  told  Mandy,"  he  went  on,  "when  my 
fork  fell  on  the  floor  at  breakfast  and  stood  up.  Now 
don't  stand  looking  around  there  like  a  duck  in  a 
thunder  storm,  there  ain't  nothing  to  see  'round 
here,  so  step  up.  Mandy,"  this  I  learned  was  his 
wife,  "come  here,  girl,  and  see  one  of  my  old  shanty 
boys.  You  will  be  glad  to  see  him,  even  if  he  does 
look  like  one  of  them  city  gents  that  wear  collars  and 
blacking  on  their  shoes."  And  so  he  ran  on  until  I 
had  been  ushered  into  what  he  termed  the  "home 
plate  of  the  clearing"  and  was  installed  on  a  chair 
without  a  back  opposite  him  at  the  end  of  the  table. 

Mandy,  in  the  interval,  was  busy  dusting  a  place 
for  me  with  her  apron  and  getting  down  a  plate,  knife 


MANDY.  303 

and  fork,  from  a  little  shelf  over  the  stove.  It  did  not 
take  her  long  to  pass  over  a  couple  of  mealy  potatoes, 
"early  roses  with  their  jackets  on,"  Carey  called  them, 
a  strip  of  pork  as  broad  as  your  hand,  fried  in  its  own 
grease,  and  a  slice  of  bread  at  least  an  inch  thick.  I 
tell  you,  it  tasted  good,  and  as  a  baker  of  bread,  let  me 
tell  you  now  for  fear  I  may  forget  it,  Mandy  was  a 
success.  I  could  see  Carey  was  proud  of  her,  and 
while  there  would  have  been  no  prizes  coming  her 
way  at  a  beauty  show,  she  had  that  wholesome,  tidy 
look  that  is  stamped  on  every  genuine  home-maker. 
None  of  this  "I'm  so  sorry  I  am  not  dressed  and  have 
not  a  little  cake  or  pie  for  you,"  not  a  bit  of  it,  but 
plenty  of  that  whole-hearted  welcome  which  says 
plainer  than  words,  "this  is  our  home  and  we  are 
proud  of  it.  This  is  what  we  live  on.  It  is  good 
enough  for  us.  It  is  the  best  we  have,  and  we  know 
it  is  good  enough  for  you."  Mandy,  I  lift  my  hat  to 
your  memory.  It  is  true  that  her  home  was  only  a 
cabin  of  one  room  with  the  stove  at  one  end  and  a 
bed  at  the  other,  but  everything  in  it  was  as  neat  as  a 
pin  and  you  could,  as  the  old  saying  goes,  have  eaten 
your  dinner  off  the  floor  without  getting  any  specks 
in  it.  Mandy  called  her  husband  Carey.  So  did 
everyone  that  knew  him,  and,  so  far  as  I  knew,  he  had 
no  other  name. 

After  dinner  the  pipes  were  lit  and  the  smile  of 
contentment  on  Carey's  face  showed  that  he  had 
nothing  to  bother  him.  As  Mandy  stepped  out  to  the 
spring  for  a  bucket  of  water,  Carey  reached  over  and 
with  a  wink,  poking  me  in  the  ribs  said,  "Isn't  she  a 
darling?"  When  I  nodded,  Carey  continued:  "Dum 
if  I  know  why  she  ever  had  me.  I  hadn't  the  courage 


304  OLD 

to  ask  her,  but  she  did  it,  and  I'm  glad  she  did." 
With  that  he  lapsed  into  silence  and  blew  up  such  a 
cloud  of  smoke  that  I  began  to  think  he  was  on  fire. 

When  Mandy  returned,  Carey  proposed  that  we 
could  "make  a  day  of  it."  By  that  he  meant,  as  I 
learned  later,  a  trip  to  the  Corners,  and  as  Mandy 
was  as  anxious  that  we  should  go  as  Carey  was  to 
take  me,  I  had  no  objections  to  offer,  so  Old  Bill  was 
hooked  to  the  single  wagon  and  we  started,  Mandy 
waving  her  sunbonnet  at  us  as  we  passed  out  of  the 
clearing. 

"Now,"  said  Carey,  as  we  jolted  over  the  roots  and 
through  the  ruts  of  the  bush  road,  "put  your  eye  on 
that  horse.  I'll  admit  he  is  not  much  to  look  at,  as  he 
has,  like  myself,  roughed  it  in  the  bush,  but  he  can 
outpull  any  horse  in  these  parts,  and  there  are  some 
people  with  two  horses  that  cannot  hold  a  candle  to 
him.  It  would  do  your  heart  good  to  see  him  brace 
himself  and  take  a  pull  on  a  stump.  Somehow  he 
takes  to  it  natural  like;  just  slips  up  into  the  collar 
kind  of  easy,  then  bears  away  until  everything  is  tight. 
Not  a  tug  or  a  strain,  mind  you,  but  just  a  steady,  long 
pull,  until  the  chain  snaps  or  whatever  he  is  hooked 
to  begins  to  come.  Then  Old  Bill  wakes  up  and 
marches.  Curious,  ain't  it,"  said  Carey,  and  I  had  to 
admit  it  was.  But  that  did  not  satisfy  him,  so  he 
stopped  and  insisted  that  I  get  out  and  take  a  closer 
look  at  Old  Bill,  as  he  termed  it,  "make  his  acquaint- 
ance." 

Old  Bill,  to  be  candid  with  you,  was  a  peculiar 
kind  of  a  horse.  When  getting  into  the  wagon  I  had 
scarcely  looked  at  him,  but  now,  with  Carey  as  exhib- 
itor, I  had  an  ample  opportunity,  under  the  direction 


A   CIRCUS   HORSE.  307 

of  a  man  who  was  clearly  in  love  with  him,  if  such 
a  term  is  applicable  to  a  fellow-feeling  between  an 
animal  and  a  human  being.  Old  Bill  had  what  might 
be  termed  a  large  head  for  a  horse  standing  only  a 
shade  over  fifteen  hands,  while  his  small  muzzle  and 
sharply  pointed  ears,  with  the  width  of  your  hand  be- 
tween them,  and  heavy  jowls,  gave  him  an  odd  look, 
but  one  that  to  my  eye  meant  courage.  His  neck  was 
so  short  that  the  big  padded  collar  covered  more  than 
half  of  the  space  between  his  shoulders  and  crest, 
while  his  body  and  hind  quarters  looked  like  a  block 
of  bone  and  muscle.  The  quarters  were  let  down 
very  deep,  or,  as  a  racing  man  would  say,  he  was  well 
muscled.  Old  Bill's  legs  and  feet  looked  like  short 
posts,  not  that  they  were  filled  or  round,  but  because 
he  was  so  heavily  boned,  while  the  tendons  were 
clearly  defined,  notwithstanding  the  growth  of  hair 
at  the  fetlock  joints.  As  he  stood  there  on  the  bush 
road,  the  sunlight  filtering  through  an  arch  of  green, 
seemed  to  play  hide  and  seek  with  the  dapples  on  his 
rich,  brown  coat.  I  looked  and  looked  again  at  that 
block  of  a  horse  with  all  four  feet  well  under  him,  and 
with  the  sight  of  him  came  back  the  memories  of  the 
horse  I  pictured  Sir  Walter  Scott  had  in  mind  when 
he  was  writing  of  Richard,  the  Lion  Hearted,  at  the 
tournament  in  "Ivanhoe." 

Old  Bill  had  a  blemish,  possibly  you  might  call  it 
a  distinguishing  mark.  It  was  a  large  rim-burst  on 
his  right  side,  and  when  I  noticed  it,  Carey  told  me  it 
was  on  account  6f  that  he  came  to  get  him.  Accord- 
ing to  his  story,  he  was  coming  home  from  the  Cor- 
ners on  foot  one  night  about  three  years  before  I 
made  my  appearance  in  the  clearing  and  met  a  travel- 


308  OLD    BILL. 

ing  circus.  He  said  it  was  Dan  Rice's,  and  I  have 
now  no  means  of  learning  whether  it  was  ever  in  that 
section  of  the  country  or  not.  At  all  events,  this 
horse  had  broken  through  a  culvert  and  had  been  im- 
paled on  a  splintered  rail.  The  men  had  him  up  when 
Carey  came  along,  and  as  they  could  not  take  the 
horse  with  them  in  that  condition  and  could  not  stop, 
they  made  a  bargain  with  him  to  take  care  of  the 
horse  and  they  would  send  for  him  in  a  couple  of 
weeks.  Whether  they  sent  of  not,  Carey  did  not 
know ;  at  all  events,  no  one  ever  came  to  the  clearing. 
He  named  him  Old  Bill,  after  a  dog  that  had  died  a 
few  weeks  before  the  horse  was  added  to  Carey's 
worldly  possessions.  The  horse  recovered,  but  had 
the  rim-burst  referred  to.  It  did  not  lower  him  one 
iota  in  his  new  owner's  estimation,  and  as  the  horse 
that  could  pull  the  most  was  the  most  valuable  in 
that  community,  "Old  Bill"  was  soon  the  "cock  of  the 
walk,"  as  Carey  expressed  it. 

In  due  time  we  arrived  at  the  Corners.  It  was  sim- 
ply a  place  where  four  roads  met,  and,  as  I  remember 
it  now,  there  were  but  three  houses  with  a  few  barns 
and  a  section  of  what  had  once  been  a  shed.  One  of 
these  buildings  was  either  a  school  or  a  church,  pos- 
.sibly  both,  while  the  other  two  were  supposed  to  be 
hotels.  One  was  the  old  house.  It  was  a  long,  low 
affair,  painted  white,  with  dull,  brown  colored  win- 
dows and  doors.  It  had  that  woe-begon  appearance 
which  clings  to  a  house  that  has  lost  its  trade,  while 
the  sheds  and  barns  looked  as  if  they  were  run  down 
at  the  heel.  The  other  house  was  two  and  a  half 
stories  high,  and  had,  to  all  appearances,  been  built 
two  or  three  years.  It  had  never  been  painted  and 


PIERCE' S   CORNERS.  309 

was  passing  through  that  shabby,  genteel  period 
which  follows  in  the  wake  of  people  who  go  up  like  a 
rocket  and  come  down  like  a  stick.  This  was  Pierce's, 
or  at  least  one  of  the  places  was  Pierce's,  or  perhaps 
both  were,  as  there  seemed  to  be  a  great  number  of 
people  of  this  name  in  that  locality.  At  all  events, 
before  I  left  I  learned  that  the  big  house  had  been 
built  to  eat  up  all  the  trade  of  the  old  house,  and  the 
result  was  that  both  failed.  At  the  time  I  was  there 
neither  of  them  had  a  license,  "couldn't  afford  it," 
Carey  said,  but  both  sold  what  was  called  "proof." 
Oh,  but  it  was  vile,  and  Carey  said  that  "one  could  not 
tell  on  the  t'other,  as  he  dasn't."  Then  the  minister 
could  not  say  a  word,  as  if  he  did,  he  would  not  have 
a  place  to  stop  at  when  he  came  to  the  Corners  to 
preach.  But  this  is  local  history. 

Bill  patronized  the  old  house.  He  did  not  believe 
in  new-fangled  affairs  with  high  ceilings  and  three  or 
four  flights  of  stairs.  He  had  lived  in  a  shanty  and 
wanted  things  so  that  you  could  reach  out  and  get 
them  without  running  over  all  creation.  Driving  into 
the  shed,  he  tied  Old  Bill  to  a  post  and  made  a  move 
for  the  house.  Up  to  that  time  no  one  was  in  sight,  not 
even  a  dog  or  a  hen.  As  we  entered,  a  man  of  about 
fifty-five,  with  an  iron-gray  mane  that  would  have 
done  credit  to  a  Percheron,  rolled  over  on  a  bunk,  and 
after  rubbing  his  eyes  for  a  minute  or  two,  said : 
"How  do,"  without  making  a  move  to  get  in  an  up- 
right position.  Thinks  I,  "what  kind  of  a  time  is 
Carey  going  to  have  at  the  Corners?"  To  tell  you  the 
truth,  it  did  not  look  very  exciting. 

In  due  time,  however,  Carey  induced  the  landlord, 
who  was  a  Pierce,  to  get  up  and  "give  us  something 


310  OLD   BILL. 

and  take  a  little  himself,"  and  after  it  had  been  re- 
peated a  few  times,  he  remarked  that  he  had  come  to 
make  the  bet.  "Oh,  you  have,  have  you,"  said  Pierce. 
"Well,  I  reckon  you  have  taken  plenty  of  time  to  think 
it  over.  But  I'll  go  you.  An  offer's  an  offer  at  the 
Corners  since  I  have  been  here." 

From  the  conversation  that  followed  I  learned  that 
about  six  months  prior  to  this  visit  a  few  of  the  neigh- 
bors met  at  Pierce's  on  their  way  home  from  a  bee, 
and  among  other  things  began  boasting  of  the  pulling 
qualities  of  their  horses.  Carey  was  there,  but  did 
not  say  much  until  all  of  them  had  reached  what  he 
termed  a  "betting  pint."  He  then  offered  to  pull  any 
two  horses  in  the  shed,  but  as  they  had  an  idea  as  to 
what  Old  Bill  could  do,  there  were  no  takers.  At  last 
someone  stumped  Carey  to  hitch  to  a  sill  in  the  long 
shed  and  pull  it  out.  This  plate,  or  sill,  was  a  long 
piece  of  timber  standing  on  three  large  boulders,  and 
was  the  bottom  log  in  the  back  of  the  shed.  With  it 
out  the  building  would  either  settle  or  tumble  over ; 
but  the  loss  would  fall  on  Pierce,  and  as  he  did  not 
have  much  use  for  it,  no  one  thought  he  would  object, 
and  so  it  proved.  The  bet  was  a  keg  of  "proof,"  and 
win  or  lose  Pierce  would  get  the  money. 

Word  was  sent  around  to  the  neighbors  that  Carey 
had  come  down  with  Old  Bill  to  make  the  bet,  and  by 
sundown  ten  or  a  dozen  sunburnt  men  had  put  in  an 
appearance.  During  the  interval  Carey  had  been 
having  what  he  called  "a  time,"  and  when  the  crowd 
gathered  there  was  no  end  to  his  enthusiasm.  Before 
the  pull,  I  found  on  examining  the  shed  that  a  section 
of  it  had  fallen  or  had  been  taken  down  and  about  ten 
feet  of  the  sill  of  that  section  still  projected  beyond 


A   STRANGE   BET.  311 

the  stone  on  which  it  rested.  How  Old  Bill  could 
pull  it  out  was  more  than  I  knew;  but  Carey  had 
planned  it  all  out  in  his  mind  while  up  in  the  bush. 
Taking  me  to  one  side  he  said:  "Now,  don't  you 
offer  to  bet  any  money,  as  the  neighbors  do  not  know 
what  that  kind  of  business  is,  and  at  the  same  time 
they  might  think  I  brought  you  here  to  cheat  'em. 
At  the  same  time  remember  that  while  they  are  strong 
and  hearty,  they  are  a  bit  shy  on  the  matter  of  strang- 
ers, as  some  of  them  have  been  nipped  by  lightning 
rod  fellers  and  chaps  that  sign  your  name  to  a  piece 
of  paper  for  one  kind  of  a  book  and  then  have  some 
other  one  come  along  with  another  kind  and  your 
name  on  a  note  to  pliy  for  it.  They  don't  come  near 
me,  as  they  cannot  find  their  way  to  the  clearing,  but 
somehow  they  haunt  the  Corners.  Lige,  that  is  him 
in  the  big  straw  hat,  says  they  can  smell  proof  like  a 
bear  can  a  bee-tree,  and  I  guess  it's  so." 

After  inviting  everyone,  including  what  Lige 
termed  "the  stranger,"  to  have  something,  Carey 
began  to  make  preparations  for  the  pull.  Old  Bill 
was  unhitched  from  the  wagon  and  stripped  of  all  his 
harness  except  the  bridle,  collar,  hames  and  traces. 
These  were  fastened  to  a  heavy  second  growth 
hickory  whifHetree  which  Carey  pulled  from  under 
the  seat  in  the  wagon,  while  a  chain  was  at  the  same 
time  unwound  from  the  stakes  over  the  back  axle.  It 
was  plain  that  Carey  had  come  prepared  to  make  the 
bet,  and  as  Old  Bill  had  never  been  worsted  in  a 
pulling  match,  everything  looked  favorable.  Pulling 
against  another  horse  or  a  pair,  however,  was  dif- 
ferent from  snatching  a  dead  weight  or  wrenching  a 
sill  from  under  a  tumble-down  shed.  At  the  time,  I 


312  OLD 

thought  it  was  the  strangest  bet  I  ever  heard  of,  but 
I  now  think  that  old  Pierce,  who  did  nothing  but 
sleep  and  scheme  when  not  selling  "proof,"  wanted 
the  shed  down,  and  took  this  way  to  do  it  and  at  the 
same  time  m,ake  a  little  on  the  side. 

As  a  preliminary,  Carey  had  the  neighbors  carry  a 
couple  of  dozen  heavy  oak  plank  to  the  rear  of  the 
shed  and  lay  them  flat,  making  a  floor  for  Old  Bill  to 
stand  on.  He  then  covered  the  plank  with  three  or 
four  inches  of  loam,  making  it  just  deep  enough  to 
not  bother  the  horse  and  at  the  same  time  keep  him 
from  slipping.  Old  Bill  was  then  led  around  and 
hitched  to  the  whiffletree  which  was  dangling  at  the 
end  of  the  chain.  When  Carey  adjusted  the  latter  he 
gave  it  a  half  rolling  hitch  on  the  sill,  which  was 
partially  flattened  on  the  underside,  and  I  noticed  with 
some  surprise  that  he  placed  the  chain  about  a  foot 
inside  of  the  first  stone  on  which  the  plate  rested. 
There  were  two  other  stones  between  it  and  the  end 
of  the  shed.  Carey's  idea  was  to  give  it  a  roll  and 
when  it  heaved,  the  chances  were  the  sill  would  slip 
out,  while  the  shed  could  tumble  over  or  settle,  which 
he  or  no  other  person  for  that  matter  cared. 

When  everything  was  ready  he  took  Old  Bill  by 
the  head  and  with  a  pat  on  his  neck  spoke  to  him. 
The  horse  knew  what  was  wanted,  and  after  feeling 
his  way  up  into  the  collar,  just  as  I  have  seen  a  fighter 
feel  of  a  man  in  the  ring,  he  began  to  move.  As  the 
traces  tightened  and  the  chain  began  to  eat  into  the 
wood,  Old  Bill  settled  down  to  the  work.  He  seemed 
to  lengthen,  as  his  belly  almost  touched  the  ground, 
while  his  eyes  began  to  stick  out  under  the  strain. 
Every  foot  held  as  he  made  a  heave,  but  the  sill  never 


HIS   LAST   PULL.  313 

budged.  At  the  first  strain  the  projecting  end  of  the 
beam  trembled,  but  that  was  all.  Carey  saw  that  it 
was  a  hard  one,  but  instead  of  using  up  his  horse  in 
one  effort,  he  spoke  to  him  and  finally  backed  him. 

The  neighbors  were  good  judges  of  such  matters 
and  they  were  sure  that  Old  Bill  was  "stumped,"  as 
they  termed  it.  Carey  did  not  think  so,  as  after  un- 
hitching the  horse  and  walking  him  down  the  road  a 
bit  to  get  the  numbness  out  of  his  legs,  he  came  back 
for  another  pull.  The  rules  at  the  Corners  in  matters 
of  this  kind  permitted  three  trials.  This  was  to  be  the 
second  one.  Before  hitching,  Carey  moved  the  chain, 
pulling  it  further  around  and  in  so  doing  added  to  the 
purchase  of  the  rolling  hitch.  I  knew  enough  about 
such  matters  to 'see  that  he  now  hoped  to  twist  it  out, 
as  the  first  trial  showed  that  it  could  not  be  pulled 
out  by  straight  work.  In  a  hitch  of  this  kind  quick 
work  is  required,  as  Carey  had  learned  in  the  shanties. 
Backing  Old  Bill  up  to  the  wall,  Carey  spoke  to  him 
sharp,  and  at  the  same  time  Stepped  forward  quickly. 
Quick  as  he  was,  Bill  was  quicker,  and  as  the  chain 
scrunched  when  the  links  slid  into  place,  I  saw  the 
shed  heave,  while  a  grinding  sort  of  noise  came  from 
the  lower  end.  There  is  not  speed  enough  in  words 
to  tell  you  what  happened  in  the  next  few  seconds. 

I  saw  it  all,  and  when  the  dust  cleared  away  the 
shed  was  down  and  Old  Bill  was  under  it.  Later  on  it 
was  found  that  the  sill  at  the  end  of  the  shed  was  rot- 
ten, for  that  matter  the  whole  end.  When  Old  Bill 
put  the  strain  on  with  a  snap,  the  sill  broke  loose  and 
swung  around.  This,  with  the  rolling  hitch  on  the 
log,  twisted  the  partially  flattened  plate  so  that  it 
rolled  off  the  stone  behind  the  horse  and  caused  the 


314  OLD 

long  plate  to  swing  around.  As  the  horse  stumbled 
forward,  the  projecting  portion  of  the  sill  struck  him 
and  knocked  him  down.  Carey  dodged  under  the 
plate  like  a  flash  and  unhooked  the  chain,  but  he  could 
not  get  the,  horse  out.  The  blow  had  stunned  him, 
and  before  he  could  be  moved  the  shed  was  down  on 
top  of  him.  The  neighbors  pulled  the  logs  away  in 
the  faint  hope  of  saving  Old  Bill.  They  hoped  in 
vain.  He  was  dead.  The  last  I  saw  of  Carey  he  was 
sitting  on  the  grass  with  Old  Bill's  head  in  his  lap. 
The  tears  were  running  down  his  sunburnt  cheeks, 
while  the  neighbors  busied  themselves  in  digging  a 
grave  near  the  spot  where  the  old  horse  fell.  I  turned 
away  and  left  the  place,  as  "when  strong  men  weep" — 
well,  you  know  what  happens. 


A  YANKEE  TRADE. 


Old  Amizah  Allyn  said  that  he  would  stand  a  treat 

As  the  noddler  in  his  noddy  swept  the  street. 

He  was  up  behind  a  spike-tailed  mare,  and  you  should  have 

seen  her  fly, 
When  he  picked  her  up  and  trotted  by  singing  "how  is  that 

for  hi!"  — Nutmeg  Ballad. 

"Hen"  Capen  lived  in  Windsor,  Conn.  He  was  a 
Yankee  born  and  bred  in  Connecticut,  with  a  pedigree 
that  traced  back  to  Barnard  Capen,  a  man  of  Puri- 
tanical principles,  that  landed  in  Dorchester,  Mass., 
in  1636.  The  said  Barnard  Capen  did  not  take  very 
kindly  to  the  rule  of  Charles  I.  in  England,  so  like 
thousands  of  others,  for  religion's  sake,  he  abandoned 
a  home  beyond  the  Atlantic  for  the  wilds  of  America. 
According  to  the  returns  shown  by  his  descendants 
the  exchange  proved  a  profitable  one,  although  very 
little  of  the  world's  goods  clung  to  "Hen."  The  Puri- 
tanical ideas  were  also  bred  out .  of  his  pedigree  on 
the  way  down  to  him,  but  what  he  lacked  in  steeple- 
crowned  hat  and  brown  coat  palaver,  was  more  than 
made  up  by  a  sunny  disposition  and  a  devil-may-care 
sort  of  life  which  suited  him  to  a  T. 

Now,  while  "Hen"  was  a  dyed-in-the-wool 
Yankee,  he  was  not  one  of  the  typical  sort  that  you 
will,  from  time  to  time,  find  labeled  Uncle  Sam  or 
Brother  Jonathan  in  the  daily  papers,  as  he  was 
thickset  and  as  bright  as  a  button,  with  a  ruddy  face 
and  had,  like  Santa  Claus 


316  A   YANKEE   TRADE. 

"A  little  round  belly 

That   shook   when    he   laughed 

Like  a  bowl  full  of  jelly." 

In  a  professional  way  "Hen"  was  a  noddler,  a  pure, 
unadulterated  Connecticut  Yankee  horse  trader,  while 
as  a  side  issue,  and  for  his  own  amusement,  he  con- 
sumed rum.  It  was  his  besetting  sin,  and  it,  as  it  has 
with  thousands  of  others,  kept  him  broke.  Still,  for 
some  unexplainable  reason,  "Hen"  was  never  so 
happy  as  when  he  touched  bottom,  as  after  he 
sobered  up,  a  matter  that  usually  took  three  or 
four  days,  he  would  borrow  a  five  or  ten-dollar  note 
from  someone  and  begin  to  run  it  into  material  which 
could  be  placed  on  the  market.  At  such  times  he 
would  start  off  with  a  five-dollar  trader  or,  in  other 
words,  a  horsehide  with  a  few  bones  and  a  spark  of 
life  in  it,  hitched  to  a  borrowed  wagon,  and  in  all  prob- 
ability wearing  a  set  of  harness  which  had  more  rope 
and  strings  in  it  than  leather.  "Hen"  was  then  in  his 
glory,  and  from  that  time  on  till  he  felt  like  a  capi- 
talist, any  man  or  boy  from  Windsor  Locks  to  Weth- 
ersfield  could  have  a  trade,  and  when  he  nodded  you 
were  on  and  in  up  to  your  neck  if  you  were  interested 
financially. 

Sometimes  "Hen"  would  exchange  horses  five  or 
six  times  during  a  day,  it  all  depending  how  the  run 
of  people  came  to  the  stable  yards  he  frequented. 
But  for  that  matter,  he  would  swop  horses  with  a 
man  on  the  road  or  any  place  you  met  him,  and  every 
time  he  traded  you  could  rest  assured  that  he  got 
either  a  better  horse  or  some  money.  There  are 
people  in  this  world  who  trade  horses  for  amusement, 
but  "Hen"  Capen  was  not  one  of  them.  With  him  it 


"HEN"  CAPEN.  317 

was  business,  all  wool  and  a  yard  wide,  and  so  it 
would  run  on  until  he  felt  that  his  wealth  was  a 
burden.  Then  he  would  start  on  a  "tear"  and  never 
pull  up  until  he  was  down  to  a  shoe  string. 

In  his  day  "Hen"  Capen  made  thousands  of  trades, 
but  all  of  them  are  now  forgotten,  except  one  that  was 
consummated  a  short  time  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
At  that  time  Peter  Pointdexter,  possibly  that  was  his 
name  and  possibly  it  was  not,  kept  a  meat  store  on 
Clark  Street,  in  Hartford.  He  required  a  good  horse 
in  his  business.  One  morning  while  driving  from 
Hartford  to  Windsor,  Peter  decided  that  the  horse  he 
was  driving  did  not  suit  him.  Men  will  do  that  some- 
times, and  why  they  do,  is  more  than  I  know.  Just 
as  this  thought  was  rumbling  about  in  Peter's  head, 
who  should  swing  around  a  bend  in  the  road  but 
"Hen"  Capen.  From  the  way  he  was  weaving  about 
in  the  seat  of  his  wagon  it  looked  as  though  he  had 
been  taking  a  little  ballast,  or  at  least  was  letting  on  he 
did,  and  they  do  say  "Hen"  was  able  to  do  a  little 
shamming  when  he  felt  it  might  lead  to  new  business. 
As  Peter  hailed  him  he  pulled  up.  For  the  next  few 
minutes  Peter  and  "Hen"  talked  horse  as  only  Yankee 
and  gypsy  traders  can.  This  brand  of  trader,  unlike 
the  Tennessee  product,  never  find  fault  with  the  other 
man's  horse,  but  can  always  slip  in  a  sweet  word  or 
two  in  favor  of  their  own.  As  Peter  wanted  to  trade, 
"Hen"  had  no  objections  to  offer.  That  was  his  busi- 
ness, and  the  result  was  that  after  a  busy  quarter  of 
an  hour,  the  meat  wagon  started  towards  Windsor 
with  a  new  horse  between  the  thills  and  "Hen"  jogged 
on  to  Hartford  with  $50  added  to  his  worldly  posses- 
sions. The  following  morning,  as  the  story  runs, 


318  A   YANKEE   TRADE. 

"Hen"  Capen  drove  into  Clark  Street,  Hartford,  be- 
fore the  sun  was  up.  Peter  Pointdexter  was  just 
putting  the  finishing  touches  on  the  proverbial  forty 
winks  before  getting  up,  when  he  heard  a  wagon 
stop  in  front  of  his  door,  and,  with  an  eye  to  business, 
stuck  his  head  out  of  the  window  to  see  what  was  in 
the  wind.  He  soon  learned  that  he  was  wanted,  and 
on  coming  down  to  the  yard,  he  found  "Hen"  with 
tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  weeping  and  wailing 
over  how  he  had  been  beaten  in  that  horse  trade. 
The  only  excuse  he  had  to  offer  was  that  he  was  drunk 
and  he  felt  that  Peter  Pointdexter,  owner  of  a  big 
estate  and  a  good  business,  should  at  least  give  him 
$25  more.  Now,  Peter  was  "as  close  as  the  bark  to 
a  tree,"  as  the  saying  goes,  but  it  tickled  him  to  have 
"Hen"  Capen,  the  prince  of  horse  traders  in  Windsor, 
admit  that  he  had  bested  him  at  his  own  game,  so, 
after  no  end  of  hemming  and  hawing,  he  pulled  out 
his  wallet  and  handed  over  two  tens  and  a  five,  which 
made  the  difference  between  the  two  horses  $75. 

In  a  few  days  Peter  Pointdexter  found  that  the 
horse  he  had  of  "Hen"  Capen  was  a  counterfeit, 
and  that  the  longer  he  had  him,  the  worse  he  became. 
Someone  had  apparently  fixed  him  up  for  the  trading 
market  or  "Hen"  had  done  it  himself.  Who,  he  did 
not  care  to  inquire,  as  his  pride  was  touched ;  but  like 
a  good  betting  man,  he  decided  after  thinking  it  over, 
that  the  best,  place  for  a  man  to  find  his  money  was 
to  go  and  look  for  it  where  he  lost  it.  The  next  move 
was  to  find  "Hen"  Capen  without  letting  that  indi- 
vidual know  he  was  looking  for  him.  A  week 
slipped  by  without  seeing  him,  and  all  that  time  the 


TEMPERING   THE   WIND.  319 

horse  was  going  down  hill  like  a  barley  fed  horse  pre- 
pared for  an  army  contractor.  Finally,  taking  the 
bit  in  his  teeth,  Peter  Pointdexter  started  for  Windsor 
and  drove  into  "Hen"  Capen's  yard.  The  pro- 
prietor of  the  establishment  was  at  home  and  in  the 
best  of  humor.  Smiles  and  sunshine  seemed  to  flutter 
about  his  head  as  Peter  Pointdexter  pulled  up,  and  the 
warmth  with  which  he  shook  the  worthy  merchant's 
hand  would  make  you  think  he  was  a  long-lost 
brother. 

After  a  little  sparring  Peter  blurted  out  that  he 
had  come  over  to  trade  the  horse  he  had  off  him,  as 
after  a  trial  he  found  that  he  did  not  suit  him,  because 
he  would  not  stand  without  hitching,  was  afraid  of 
the  steam  cars,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  Of  course, 
he  added  that  if  it  were  not  for  these  little  shortcom- 
ings he  would  never  part  with  him,  and,  strange  to 
say,  "Hen"  agreed  with  him.  As  they  stood  there 
talking  a  man  drove  into  the  yard  behind  a  big  bay 
horse  which  had  been  clipped.  His  mane  was 
"hogged,"  or,  in  other  words,  removed,  while  his  tail 
was  also  cut  square  off  at  the  end  of  the  dock.  This 
horse  was  unhitched  and  led  into  the  stable.  Peter 
Pointdexter  looked  at  him  and  "Hen"  could  see  he 
liked  him.  That  was  one  trick  for  "Hen."  When 
they  began  to  talk  business,  "Hen"  asked  Peter  how 
the  clipped  horse  would  suit  him.  "Well,  he  didn't 
just  know,"  but  they  talked  and  talked,  and  finally 
Peter  swung  around  to  him.  "Hen"  said  that  he 
would  trade  for  $50,  and  they  traded.  Peter  Point- 
dexted  drove  home  congratulating  himself,  while 
"Hen"  walked  across  the  street  and  had  a  drink. 


320  A   YANKEE   TRADE. 

There  were  a  number  of  sheds  and  stables  in  the 
rear  of  Peter  Pointdexter's  home  on  Clark  Street.  In 
order  to  make  the  circuit  a  stranger  required  a  chart, 
but  the  stock  on  the  place  carried  the  plan  in  their 
heads  and  knew  the  routes  from  the  yard  to  the  water 
trough  and^to  their  respective  stalls  like  animals  in  a 
circus.  When  Peter,  all  smiles,  drove  into  the  yard 
the  horse  swung  around  and  backed  the  wagon  under 
the  shed  without  so  much  as  being  guided  by  the 
reins.  As  Peter  told  the  story,  this  made  him  open 
his  eyes,  but  when  he  unhitched  and  the  new  horse 
walked  up  an  alley  to  the  water  trough  and  then 
wheeled  around  and  made  a  bee  line  for  a  stall,  he 
took  out  his  spectacles  and  polished  them.  Even 
then  he  could  not  understand  it,  but  his  mind  was 
made  clear  the  following  morning,  when  the  stable- 
man asked  him  why  he  had  traded  for  the  old  horse. 
All  Hartford  and  Windsor  had  a  good  laugh  over  it, 
and  it  was  many  a  day  before  Peter  Pointdexter,  if 
that  was  his  name,  heard  the  last  9f  his  $125  invest- 
ment in  his  own  horse. 


THE    LUKE   LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 


I'd  one  foot  in  the  stirrup,  a  hand  in  his  mane, 

As  he  took  the  sod  bank  in  his  stride, 
I  could  feel  he  was  going  and  gave  him  the  spur, 

He  responded  and  won,  then  lunged  forward  and  died 
With  the  cheers  in  his  ears  and  the  sweat  on  his  hide. 

'Twas  a  glorious  death,  but  a  few  of  us  cried. 
His  four  shoes  are  down  stairs  on  the  wall. 

All  of  the  curious  and  unemployed  -on  the  lower 
end  of  Manhatten  Island  were  at  the  Battery  on  the 
morning  of  August  10,  1888,  to  see  the  City  of  New 
York  finish  her  maiden  trip  and  bring  into  port  James 
G.  Elaine,  the  Plumed  Knight  of  Maine,  who  was  re- 
turning from  a  coaching  trip  through  Great  Britain 
with  Andrew  Carnegie.  That  morning  I  was  detailed 
for  a  trip  to  one  of  the  Long  Island  tracks,  and  on 
reaching  the  South  Ferry  station  of  the  elevated  I  de- 
cided to  stop  over  a  boat  or  two  to  see  what  had  been 
heralded  as  the  finest  passenger  vessel  that  had  ever 
sailed  for  the  port  of  New  York.  Those  who  had 
glasses  soon  picked  her  up  in  the  lower  bay,  and  in  a 
short  time  she  swept  by  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  on 
Bedloe's  Island,  and  passed  the  cheering  and  handker- 
chief-waving multitude  on  the  Battery  on  her  way  to 
a  pier  in  the  North  River.  As  she  steamed  by  old 
Castle  Garden,  which  is  now  only  a  memory,  I  heard 
some  one  in  a  sing-song  voice  say : 

"She  walks  the  water  like  a  thing  of  life." 

"And  see  her  lines ;  they  are  as  fine  as  those  of  the 
high-mettled  racers  I  rode  when  a  lad  in  Jersey." 


322  THE   LUKE   LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

"It  is  poetical  you  are  this  morning,  Luke,"  came 
a  gruff  voice  at  my  shoulder.  "Where  on  the  green 
earth  did  you  ever  learn  such  a  foine  tale?" 

"New  York  police,  nothing  else,"  said  I ;  but  when 
I  turned  a  view  of  the  first  speaker  surprised  me. 
Perched  on  a  park  bench,  with  his  hands  on  the  of- 
ficer's shoulder,  was  a  little  old  man  who  would  not 
weigh  over  ninety  or  one  hundred  pounds,  wearing  a 
high  hat  that  had  been  ironed  many  a  time,  a  high 
collar  with  an  old  black  stock,  such  as  you  read  about 
in  novels  running  back  to  the  Revolutionary  period, 
a  long  frock  coat,  a  little  the  worse  for  wear,  a  pair  of 
light  pants  creased  to  a  razor's  edge,  buff-colored 
gloves  and  patent  leather  shoes  with  pointed  toes. 
His  hair  was  white  and  clipped  so  close  that  you  could 
see  the  skin  of  the  scalp  through  the  stubble,  while  an 
unusually  heavy  moustache  for  a  man  of  his  physique 
was  waxed  and  twisted  into  points  fine  enough  to  go 
through  the  proverbial  eye  of  a  needle.  This  all  came 
at  a  glance  as  I  passed  on  to  the  ferry. 

The  following  day,  while  making  the  same  trip,  I 
saw  him  again,  and  upon  my  return,  the  same  officer 
being  on  the  beat,  I  asked  him  who  he  was.  He  told 
me  that  the  little  old  gentleman  was  known  as  Luke 
Lightwood,  although  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  it 
was  not  his  only  name,  and  that  the  boys  about  the 
Battery  had  favored  him  with  the  title,  "Dot  and 
Carry  One,"  from  the  manner  in  which  he  banged  his 
cane  on  the  pavement  and  dragged  a  game  leg  after 
him.  The  officer  also  told  me  that  Luke  had  been  a 
jockey  in  his  early  days,  and  now  picked  up  a  living 
by  assisting  in  the  gambling  rooms  up  town.  All  of 
this  was  imparted  sub  rosa  at  the  time,  being  one  of 
the  official  secrets  which  are  handed  about  from  day 


DOT   AND   CARRY   ONE.  323 

to  day  between  the  police  and  those  who  spin  stories 
for  the  press.  At  a  later  date  I  learned  that  Luke 
Lightwood  had  made  it  a  rule  for  many  years  to  walk 
from  his  lodgings,  in  what  was  called  Greenwich  Vil- 
lage in  the  old  days,  and  remain  on  the  Battery  from 
twelve  to  two  in  summer,  and  from  twelve  to  one  in 
winter,  before  taking  a  car  up  town.  He  was  so 
regular  in  his  movements  that  the  clerks  in  the  Cus- 
tom House  were  in  the  habit  of  regulating  their 
watches  by  his  coming  or  going,  while  Luke,  all  un- 
conscious of  the  attention  he  attracted,  took  his  con- 
stitutional, watched  the  vessels  passing  up  and  down 
the  river  and  talked  with  the  boys,  with  whom  he  was 
a  prime  favorite. 

As  newsgatherers  are  fond  of  odd  characters,  I  had 
the  officer  arrange  matters  so  that  I  was  added  to 
Luke's  list  of  Battery  acquaintances,  and  when  the 
old  man  learned  that  I  was  fond  of  a  galloping  horse 
he  was  only  too  anxious  to  again  live  over  in  memory 
the  old  days,  when  he  was  in  the  saddle  and  riding  on 
the  tracks  between  New  York  and  New  Orleans.  On 
one  occasion,  when  in  a  communicative  mood,  Luke 
recited  the  words  of  the  old  song,  "The  High-Mettled 
Racer,"  which  he  said  was  from  time  immemorial 
sung  each  year  by  the  President  upon  the  removal  of 
the  cloth  at  the  Jockey  Club  dinner  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina Jockey  Club,  which  held  its  meetings  at  the 
Washington  course,  near  Charleston.  He  also  said 
that  he  stood  on  the  lawn  and  heard  it  the  year  (1846) 
Childe  Harold  won  the  Jockey  Club  purse  from  Jerry 
Lancaster  and  Sally  Morgan.  As  I  appeared  to  be 
much  taken  with  the  words,  Luke  repeated  them,  line 
for  line,  while  I  wrote  them  in  a  memorandum  book. 
The  following  are  the  words  of  the  song : 


324  THE  LUKE  LIGHTWOOD  LEGACY. 

THE  HIGH-METTLED  RACER. 

See  the    course  thronged  with  gazers !  the  sports  are 

begun ; 
The  confusion  but  hear !   "I'll  bet  you,  sir"— "Done  !— 

done !" 

Ten  thousand  strange  clamors  resound  far  and  near ; 
Lords,  hawkers  and  jockeys  assail  the  tired  ear. 
While  with  neck  like  a  rainbow,  erecting  his  crest, 
Pampered,  prancing  and  pleased,  his  nose  touching  his 

breast, 

Scarcely  snuffing  the  air,  he's  so  proud  and  elate, 
The  high-mettled  racer  starts  first  for  the  plate. 

Now  Reynard's  turned  out,  and  o'er  hedge  and  ditch 

rush 

Hounds,  horses  and  huntsmen,  all  hard  at  his  brush ; 
They  run  him  at  length,  and  they  have  him  at  bay, 
And  by  scent  and  by  view  cheat  a  long,  tedious  way ; 
While  alike  born  for  sports  of  the  field  and  the    course, 
Always   sure   to   come   through,   a   staunch   and   fleet 

horse, 

When  fairly  run  down  the  fox  yields  up  his  breath, 
The  high-mettled  racer  is  in  at  the  death. 

Grown  aged,  used  up,  and  turned  out  of  the  stud, 
Lame,  spavined,  and  wind-galled,  but  yet  with  some 

blood, 

While  knowing  postillions  his  pedigree  trace, 
Tell  his  dam  won  that  sweepstakes,  his  sire  gained 

this  race, 

And  what  matches  he  won,  too,  the  ostler's  count  o'er ; 
As  they  loiter  their  time  at  some  hedge  alehouse  door ; 
While  the  harness  sore  galls,  and  the  spurs  his  sides 

goad, 
The  high-mettled  racer's  a  hack  on  the  road. 


THE   HIGH-METTLED   RACER.  325 

Till  at  last  having  labored,  drudged  early  and  late, 
Bowed  down  by  degrees,  he  bends  to  his  fate ; 
Blind,  old  and  feeble,  he  tugs  'round  a  mill, 
Or  draws  sand,  till  the  sand  of  his  hourglass  stands 

still. 

And  now  cold  and  lifeless,  exposed  to  the  view, 
In  the  very  same  cart  which  he  yesterday  drew, 
While  the  pitying  crowd  his  sad  relics  surround, 
The  high-mettled  racer  is  sold  for  the  hounds. 

From  other  conversations  I  learned  that  Luke 
Lightwood  was  born  in  a  New  Jersey  town  and  ac- 
quired a  fair  education  for  the  period.  Upon  leaving 
school  his  father  wanted  to  apprentice  him  to  a  tailor, 
but  his  mother  objected.  She  decided  that  Luke  was 
cut  out  for  the  law,  and  as  in  such  matters  a  woman 
usually  has  her  way,  Luke  was,  as  he  termed  it, 
"articled"  to  a  lawyer.  As  Luke  had  no  taste  for  the 
calling,  he  put  in  the  most  of  his  time  reading  Smollett 
and  Fielding  and  dreaming  of  the  days  still  far  away 
in  the  future  when  he  would  be  free  to  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  Tom  Jones,  providing  he  was  as  fortunate 
with  the  ladies,  Roderick  Random  or  even  Peregrine 
Pickle.  Being  supplied  with  pocket  money  by  his 
mother,  Luke  ingratiated  himself  with  a  set  of  young 
bloods  who  were  striving  to  turn  night  into  day,  and 
in  time  became  so  clever  that  he  found  his  winnings 
at  the  card  table  were  greater  than  the  amount  ac- 
quired by  his  system  of  practicing  law. 

Luke  left  his  native  town  when  his  mother  died. 
At  that  time  he  had  enough  knowledge  of  the  law  to 
hang  out  a  shingle  in  a  frontier  town,  while  at  heart 
he  was  a  gambler,  with  that  hunger  for  excitement 
which  comes  with  winning  and  losing,  getting  some- 


326  THE   LUKE    LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

thing  for  nothing,  but  usually  nothing  for  something. 
Like  the  majority  of  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  of  crea- 
tion, imbued  with  the  ideas  of  sudden  wealth  without 
toil,  he  turned  towards  New  York,  wooed  the  fickle 
goddess  of  fortune  and  lost.  Too  proud  to  return 
home  after  everything  was  gone,  he  secured  employ- 
ment as  caretaker  of  a  no  account  race  horse.  This 
took  him  to  the  race  track,  where,  after  learning  to 
ride,  he  became  an  exercise  boy,  and  finally  a  full- 
fledged  jockey  with  a  silk  jacket,  cap  and  top  boots. 
As  he  was  light,  had  age  and  good  hands,  Luke  soon 
found  steady  employment,  and  in  time  rode  in  races 
on  nearly  all  of  the  tracks  between  New  York  and 
New  Orleans,  while  he  also  made  a  trip  into  Texas 
and  the  adjoining  states,  and  I  should  infer  by  the  two 
stories  which  he  left  that  he  also,  for  a  short  time, 
made  an  attempt  at  practicing  law  there. 

Luke  Lightwood's  turf  career  closed  on  the  old 
Beacon  course  in  New  Jersey.  He  was  schooling  a 
horse  over  the  jumps  when  it  stumbled  at  a  sod  bank, 
rolled  on  him  and  broke  a  bone  in  his  hip.  From  that 
day  he  was  a  cripple,  or  old  "Dot  and  Carry  One/'  as 
he  said,  with  a  sad  smile.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  the 
hospital  Luke  found  work  about  the  gambling  rooms, 
his  temperate  habits  and  tidy  appearance  guaranteeing 
him  steady  employment. 

Whenever  I  had  occasion  to  cross  the  Battery  on 
"Luke's  hours"  I  always  stopped  to  talk  with  him, 
and  one  day,  after  we  had  become  chummy,  he  told  me 
that  he  had  two  articles  on  racing  very  different  from 
any  I  had  ever  seen  ;that  he  had  published  them,  or  in- 
tended to  publish  them,  I  do  not  now  remember  which, 
and  that  he  would  give  them  to  me  if  I  cared  to  have 


A   MISUNDERSTANDING.  327 

them.  Being  called  out  of  the  city,  I  did  not  see  him 
again  for  a  month  or  two,  but  at  our  next  meeting  he 
told  me  that  he  would  bring  them  the  following  day, 
and  if  I  was  not  there  he  would  leave  the  parcel  with 
the  officer  on  the  beat.  The  following  day  came,  but 
Luke  failed  to  appear.  He  was  also  absent  on  the 
succeeding  one,  and  as  the  regular  officer  was  not  on 
duty,  I  was  unable  to  make  an  inquiry  until 
the  next  afternoon.  I  then  learned  that  the  man  I 
knew  as  Luke  Lightwood  was  dead  and  buried. 

During  a  misunderstanding,  in  a  room  up  town, 
he  happened  to  be  in  the  way  of  a  bullet  and  was 
killed  instantly.  An  inquest,  at  which  the  officer  was 
present,  followed  by  a  funeral  from  an  undertaker's 
rooms,  and  Luke  Lightwood  dropped  out  of  sight 
without  a  ripple.  I  had  read  of  the  shooting  in  the 
papers,  but  there  was  nothing  in  the  name  to  connect 
the  victim  with  the  man  I  knew.  The  officer  ex- 
plained it  all  with  the  remark,  "Two  names."  Later 
in  the  day  I  accompanied  the  officer  on  a  visit  to 
Luke's  rooms.  Everything  remained  just  as  he  left 
it.  On  a  table  in  the  center  of  a  little  sitting  room  we 
found  a  large  envelope  bearing  my  name.  It  con- 
tained the  stories  he  spoke  about.  The  landlady,  who 
fell  heir  to  Luke  Lightwood's  personal  effects, 
bade  me  take  them,  and  they  are  presented  here,  not 
only  as  unique  productions  with  a  sparkle  and  verve 
all  their  own,  but  as  a  tribute  to  a  man  who,  after 
being  a  lawyer,  jockey  and  gambler,  was  still  a  gen- 
tleman with  a  fondness  for  books,  Shelley  and  Byron 
being  his  favorites,  while  he  was  also  well  read  in  Scott 
and  Burns,  and  told  me  that,  in  addition  to  reading 
all  of  Dickens  and  Thackeray,  he  had  met  both  of  them 


328  THE   LUKE   UGHTWOOD   .LEGACY. 

when  they  visited  America.     Luke   Lightwood,   alias 

he  was  buried  under  the  latter,  lies 

in  an  unmarked  grave  at  Woodlawn,  but  the  long 
sleep  in  his  little  house  of  clay  shall  not  be  disturbed 
on  account  of  it. 


JEWED. 


When  I  first  made  the  acquaintance  of  Col.  Pierch 
is  not  material  at  present.  Years  have  passed  since 
that  time.  Yet  I  think  I  see  him  now.  Perfect  in  his 
unities  of  outfit,  he  arises  before  my  memory;  his  erect 
form,  meagre  in  its  outline,  but  full  of  rugged 
strength,  is  clad  in  a  high-collared,  short-waisted, 
brass-mounted  garb  of  battered  blue ;  his  lower  limbs 
protected  by  a  pair  of  pants  of  home  manufacture,  and 
of  that  color  known  to  western  housewives  as  the 
copperas  dye,  fitting  with  the  exactitude  of  an  ad- 
hesive plaster.  Leaving  the  imagination  of  the  reader 
to  fill  out  the  deficiencies  of  the  man,  as  far  as  clothes 
be  concerned,  we  will  pass  on  to  remark  that  the  con- 
tour of  the  Colonel's  visage  was  Roman  in  its  outline, 
the  physique  entirely  devoid  of  adipose  matter,  its 
cutaneous  outposts  having  retired  upon  the  bofies  of 
the  face,  making  there  a  fiery  stand  against  the  sun 
and  elements.  The  Colonel's  eye  was  of  a  whitish 
gray,  set  obliquely,  with  the  outer  corners  elevated 
from  a  straight  line  across  his  face.  What  though 
the  storms  of  more  than  half  a  century  had  spent  their 
force  upon  him ;  what  though  he  had  been  the  bully  of 
several  counties  in  which  he  lived,  and  had  maintained 


JEWED.  329 

his  laurels  by  the  sacrifice  of  divers  finger-joints,  and 
such  other  favorite  points  of  vulnerability,  with '  his 
antagonists ;  not  to  mention  fractured  ribs,  gouged 
eyes,  etc.?  What  though  he  had  stood  by  Jackson  in 
his  Indian  wars,  and  in  his  grand  triumph  at  New 
Orleans ;  had  passed  through  the  Texan  struggle  for 
independence ;  had  scouted  upon  the  frontier  against 
the  Comanches,  yet,  when  I  first  saw  him,  his  footstep 
had  the  lightness  of  twenty-five,  and  although  so 
nearly  approaching  the  close  of  his  mortal  career,  a 
more  decided  worldling  in  heart  I  have  never  met. 

The  following  letter,  received  from  the  Colonel 
at  a  period  when  the  writer  was  practicing  law  in 
Texas,  at  the  town  of  Crockett,  will  open  the  story  of 
a  quarter  race.  We  propose  placing  the  communica- 
tion verbatim  before  the  reader : 

"Bucksnort  On  The  Brasis,  October  i6th,  184-. 

"Deer  Squire : — After  due  compliments  ov  sich 
friendship  as  has  ever  been  between  us,  I  rite  more 
particularly  to  inform  you  that  I  much  wish  that  you 
will  come  out  here  next  Saturday  week,  to  act  fur  me 
in  the  bisiness  we  was  speaking  ov ;  and,  furthermore, 
to  be  at  a  real  full-deck  race.  I've  got  on  my  hoss 
Rolette  agin'  a  mar  oaned  by  a  feller  name  Cook,  gin- 
erally  noan  as  Keeno  Cook — having  interjuce  that 
game  in  these  parts.  Teh  mar  is  called  Slidin'  Jenny. 
I'm  to  put  up  a  thousand  dollars  wuth  of  land  switifi- 
kets  agin  hoss  property  valleyed  at  cash  price. 

fur  further  perticulars  wait  ontwell  I  see  you, 
which  I'm  in  hopes  you'll  not  disappint  me  in  not  com- 

m£-  "Yours,  etc.,  R  D<  K>  Pierch>» 


330  THE   LUKE   UGHTWOOD    I.KGACY. 

The  morning  set  for  the  race  found  us  within  the 
town  of  Bucksnort,  a  little  village  consisting  of  one 
grocery  and  some  out-buildings.  The  contest  which 
was  to  come  off  had  attracted  a  crowd  of  some  two 
hundred  persons,  the  mass  of  whom,  upon  our  entry, 
were  gathered  about  the  grocery,  from  whence  pro- 
ceeded the  sounds  of  music  and  dancing,  accompanied 
by  a  variety  of  fancy  noises,  in  the  way  of  imitation  of 
Indian  yells  and  the  various  cries  of  wild  beasts, 
peculiar  to  the  region  of  country  in  which  the  village 
had  been  located. 

In  mingling  with  the  crowd,  many  of  whom  were 
old  acquaintances,  we  found  the  race  the  ruling  topic 
of  discussion,  with  occasional  diversions  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  Indian  depredations,  regulating  cattle-thieves, 
inquiries  after  stray  ponies,  etc.  Rolette  seemed  the 
favorite,  and  odds  were  freely  given  against  the  mare, 
Sliding  Jennie. 

"If  I  weren't  afeerd,"  said  Bill  Speck,  a  withered, 
shrunken  old  fellow  of  advanced  age,  with  one  eye, 
clad  entout  in  buckskin,  a  handkerchief  bound  about 
his  unkempt  locks  of  iron  gray  hair,  a  bristly  beard, 
and  chewing  a  huge  quid  of  tobacco,  forcing  the 
amber  in  two  tiny  streams  from  either  corner  of  his 
mouth,  like  juice  from  a  cider-press,  "if  I  weren't 
afeerd  it  was  a  'throw  off,'  I  ain't  shore  but  what  I 
mout  bet  a  little  sumthin'  myself.  But,"  continued 
Uncle  Billy,  "you  see  I've  knowed  old  Baron  de  Kalb 
Pierch  a  long  time ;  he's  a  good  naybor,  but  powerful 
onsartin  in  sportin'  matters.  I  wunce  lost  a  yoke  of 
steers  and  three  yearlins  on  a  hoss  ov  his,  named  Flit- 
ter Foot,  that  didn't  suit  me  no  way  you  could  fix  it. 
I  told  Pierch,  in  mighty  plain  talk,  what  I  thought; 


JEWED.  331 

but  you  know  he's  run  for  the  Legislature,  and  spoke 
about  so  much  a  stumpin'  uv  it,  that  he  kin  make 
things  look  all  right  if  you'll  oney  listen  to  it. 

"Ef  er  put  up  we'r  struck,  boys,"  concluded  Uncle 
Billy;  "less  be  shore  we'r  gwine  in  on  the  winnin 
hoss." 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  I  made  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  Keeno  Cook,  and  received,  and  accepted,  an  in- 
vitation to  take  a  drink  with  that  individual.  Mr. 
Cook  was  a  large,  raw-boned  man,  with  nothing  of 
note  in  his  appearance,  except  a  grave  restraint  of 
manner,  rather  at  variance  with  the  boisterous  de- 
portment of  the  mass  of  the  assemblage.  The  contour 
of  his  face  reminded  me  somewhat  of  the  head  of  a 
buffalo  fish,  and  his  dim  blue  eyes  were  in  good  keep- 
ing with  the  resemblance.  He  was  a  man  of  few 
words,  and  evidently  felt  himself  capable  of  keeping 
his  own  counsel. 

The  day  was  on  the  decline  before  many  vexing 
preliminaries,  such  as  choosing  judges  for  the  start 
and  outcome,  valuing  the  horses  which  were  staked  on 
the  race,  etc.,  were  gotten  through  with.  These  busi- 
ness matters  were  dispatched  not  without  much  pro- 
fanity and  rough  sarcasm  upon  the  part  of  Col.  Pierch 
directed  toward  Keeno  Cook,  who  bore  them  with  a 
tranquility  of  manner  in  perfect  keeping  with  my  pre- 
conceived opinion  of  the  man. 

On  arriving  at  the  paths,  I  found  them  located 
upon  the  verge  of  a  prairie  that  was  spread  out  to  the 
east  and  north.  The  early  frost  of  autumn  had  tinged 
the  grass  slightly  with  a  russet  hue.  The  evening 
was  lovely  in  the  extreme — a  faint  hum  of  insect  life 
pervaded  the  air,  and  thousands  of  gossamer  webs 


332  THE   LUKE   LIGHTWOOD    LEGACY. 

floated  before  the  eye.  The  distant  low  of  cattle,  and 
the  musical  chant  of  water-fowl,  winging  their  way 
toward  the  Mexican  Gulf,  fell  with  wild  sweetness  on 
the  ear. 

One  great  point  in  a  quarter  race  is  in  "getting  the 
bulge/'  as  it  is  termed ;  that  is,  the  foremost  start 
when  the  word  "go !"  is  given  to  begin  the  race.  The 
rapidity  with  which  the  race  is  run,  and  the  ad- 
vantages to  the  horse  gaining  it,  makes  this  a  matter 
of  prime  consideration.  The  fast  starter  is  a  man  of 
more  importance,  perhaps,  than  either  trainer  or  rider. 
On  the  occasion  I  am  relating,  "Greek  had  met  Greek" 
in  the  persons  of  Col.  Pierch  and  Keeno  Cook,  who 
were  considered  by  their  respective  friends  to  be 
twenty  feet  faster  than  any  men  known  in  Texas. 
Long  after  the  judges  at  the  start,  to  decide  which 
(and  by  how  many  feet)  of  the  horses  got  the  start, 
and  those  of  the  outcome,  were  posted,  were  these  two 
worthies  contending  against  each  other  for  the  ad- 
vantage in  turning  their  animals  loose. 

At  length,  by  a  wild  plunge,  Rolette  tore  loose 
from  the  grasp  of  his  master,  and  set  off  down  his 
path.  "Come  back !  No  start !"  was  loudly  shouted 
by  the  judges.  The  rider  of  Rolette,  thus  arrested, 
sought  to  restrain  the  frantic  animal  he  bestrode ;  in 
doing  which,  a  pair  of  keen  spurs,  wherewith  his  heels 
were  barbed,  came  in  unlucky  contact  with  the  horse's 
sides.  The  consequence  was  that  by  a  desperate 
struggle,  in  which  the  girth  bursted  with  a  report  like 
the  smack  of  a  whip,  that  injured  animal,  sent  his 
tormentor  a  heels-over-head  cruise  among  the  wild 
geese  passing  by. 


JEWED.  333 

"Now,  Aignog,"  said  Col.  Pierch,  addressing  the 
proprietor  of  the  Bucksnort  Saloon ;  "Now,  Aignog-, 
do  you  turn  that  hoss ;  I'm  gwine  to  ride  him  myself." 
This  remark  was  made  after  Rolette  had  been  caught 
and  returned  to  his  owner. 

'Twas  a  beautiful  sight  to  behold  the  Colonel 
divesting  himself  of  the  long-tailed  blue,  binding  his 
brow  with  a  red  cotton  bandanna,  having  first  kicked 
off  his  low-quartered  shoes,  and  thrust  the  extremities 
of  his  copperas  dyes  into  his  green  hose,  then  encir- 
cling his  waist  firmly  with  his  suspenders.  Before 
mounting,  like  a  prudent  jockey,  his  critical  eye  and 
hand  swept  every  fixture  about  the  horse ;  finding 
girths,  buckles,  bits,  reins  all  correct,  with  a  nimble 
bounce  he  vaulted  into  the  saddle,  and  gathered  him- 
self up  for  the  struggle.  The  voice  and  chirrups  of 
his  master  seemed  somewhat  to  soothe  the  troubled 
temper  of  Rolette,  and  a  prospect  of  a  speedy  turn- 
loose  animated  the  feelings  of  the  bystanders. 

At  last,  after  several  skillful  and  masterly  rrla- 
noeuvers,  like  ships  in  action  beating  to  windward, 
Keeno  and  Aignog,  almost  abreast,  near  the  starting- 
poles.  The  eye  of  Keeno  has  lost  its  leaden  hue;  his 
face  glows,  for  one  instant,  electric  fire ;  his  glance  is 
firmly  riveted  upon  the  face  of  the  judge  who  gives 
the  signal,  and  as  the  thought  of  utterance  fills  his 
mind,  Keeno's  grasp  falls  from  the  mare's  bridle,  and 
like  a  flash  of  light  she  bounds  forth  with  the  word 
"go !"  a  length  in  advance  of  Rolette.  Ah !  Aignog 
was  no  match  for  Keeno. 

"Hoorah !  hoorah !  my  roaring  Pierch,"  shouted  the 
crowd  at  the  starting  pole.  "Hoorah !  hoorah !  clear 
the  track,  they  are  a-coming — they're  a-coming,"  is 


334  THE  LUKE  LIGHTWOOD  LEGACY. 

answered  in  whoop  and  yell  from  the  out-come.  Now 
the  two  horses,  closely  locked,  sink  into  a  slight  de- 
pression of  the  track,  and  now,  with  fearful  speed,  they 
rise  the  elevation  beyond.  Look  at  Pierch,  standing 
high  in  his,  stirrups,  and  thereby  showing  several 
inches  of  clear  daylight  between  him  and  the  seat  of 
the  saddle — his  elbows  flattened  to  his  sides,  his  knees 
firmly  pressing  against  Rolette's  shoulders,  he  is  lift- 
ing him  at  every  bound. 

A  small  streamer  of  the  bounce  bandanna  is  flut- 
tering like  a  fiery  meteor  through  the  troubled  atmos- 
phere. The  struggle  has  been  fearful,  but  it  is  past; 
they  are  rapidly  nearing  the  out-come.  Col.  Pierch, 
some  lengths  in  advance,  is  animating  his  flying  steed 
with  shrill  exulting  cries,  although  his  eye  has  never 
wandered  from  between  his  horse's  ears.  His  prac- 
ticed ear  has  caught  the  thunder  of  his  rival's  tread  in 
his  rear,  and  before  him  reeling,  shouting  in  a  mad- 
dening frenzy  of  joy,  are  his  friends  and  backers, 
already  hailing  him  victor  of  the —  But,  ah  !  like  all 
of  life's  uncertain  ways  are  the  issues  of  races.  Well 
said  the  wise  man,  "the  race  is  not  always  to  the 
swift ;"  for  lo !  at  that  very  moment  an  Hebrew  huck- 
ster, who,  during  the  day  had  been  seeking  to  vend  a 
limited  assortment  of  wares  to  the  assembled  multi- 
tude, with  an  eye  for  interest  never  sleeping,  beheld  a 
delinquent  customer  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
tracks  from  where  he  stood.  This  person  the  Israelite 
had  been  seeking  throughout  the  day,  with  a  fixed 
purpose  of  bringing  him  to  an  adjustment  of  accounts. 

It  formed  no  part  of  Israel's  most  extreme  hope  of 
finishing  the  business  then  and  there,  but  he  wished  to 
keep  near  his  debtor,  to  seize  the  first  golden  oppor- 


JEWED.  335 

tunity  to  consummate  the  business  affair,  and  for  that 
desirable  end,  he  determined  to  cross  the  tracks  at  all 
hazards,  and  keep  in  the  wake  of  his  man.  A 
moment  he  gazed  adown  the  tracks  at  the  approaching 

horses — 

"A  moment  listened  to  the  cry 

That  thickened  as  the  race  grew  nigh." 

and  then,  with  one  brave  bound,  he  crossed  the  path 
nearest  him,  for  one  instant  bewildered ;  he  crouches 
like  a  hare  in  the  little  space  of  grass  that  divides  the 
two  paths ;  amidst  cries  of  "lay  down,"  "go  on,"  from 
the  many-headed ;  he  plunges  into  Rolette's  path,  and 
receives  from  the  knees  of  that  animal,  in  a  rising 
bound,  a  glancing  blow  upon  the  pack  strapped  upon 
his  back,  and,  amid  a  loud  crash  of  smashed  glass  and 
boxes,  he  is  spun  in  a  variety  of  somersets  high  in  the 
air,  and  breaks  the  force  of  his  fall  by  carrying  an  old 
man  and  boy,  mounted  double,  to  the  earth  from  their 
mule.  The  accident  was  fatal  to  Col.  Pierch's  in- 
terest. Rolette  floundered  and  fell,  and  ere  his  rider, 
with  frightful  oath  and  imprecation,  could  rouse  him 
from  the  earth,  Sliding  Jennie  had  swept  by  like  a 
storm,  and  passed  through  the  poles  a  winner,  amid 
the  shouts  and  yells  of  the  crowd. 

The  scene  that  ensued  I  will  not  attempt  to  de- 
scribe. After  a  partial  lull  had  taken  place,  I  be- 
held Col.  Pierch  elbowing  his  way  through  the 
crowd,  and  glaring  about  him  with  an  eye  that 
absolutely  flashed  with  rage.  It  was  plain  to 
see,  as  Uncle  Billy  Spark  remarked,  that  the  devil 
was  in  him.  "I  want  to  speak  with  that  peddler  a 
minit,"  the  Colonel  ejaculated  through  his  bloodless 
lips — "only  a  minit."  "Now,"  said  Col.  Pierch,  con- 


THE    LUKE   LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

fronting  the  peddler,  who  had  escaped  miraculously 
from  his  adventure  with  but  trifling  injuries,  and  had 
been  endeavoring  vainly  to  make  his  egress  from  the 
crowd,  which  hemmed  him  in  on  all  sides,  as  by  a  liv- 
ing wall,  "now,  what  did  you  git  in  my  horse's  path 
for?  Don't"  tell  me  about  not  meaning  anything; 
you  was  hired  to  do  it — hired !  You'd  risk  anything 
for  money!  You  needn't  to  look  around,  fur  I'm 
gwine  to  have  a  settlement  in  full,  ole  feller,  before 
you  leave  this  ground.  I  jest  wonder  what's  keeping 
me  from  chewin'  you  rite  up  now,  instead  ov  givin' 
you  any  chance  to  say  a  word  fur  yourself.  You  don't 
remember  ov  cheatin'  my  ole  woman  in  a  passel  ov 
rotten  cap  truck  last  week?  Oh,  no,  ov  course  not; 
you  are  are  awful — frightful.  Gentlemen/'  said  the 
Colonel,  suddenly  elevating  his  voice  to  a  shriek —  ad- 
dressing the  crowd  that  was  thickening  fast  around 
them — "you  wouldn't  believe  that  that  outlandish, 
aig-sucking,  cent-shavin',  black-bearded  furrier,  which 
they're  all  gwine  about  eatin'  out  the  intruls  of  the 
country,  cheated  a  poor  grass  widder,  'Betsey  Still- 
water/  as  lives  on  the  crick  below  me,  an's  got  a  whole 
houseful  of  yearlin'  children  to  support,  outen  a  dollar 
an'  a  half,  in  changin'  money  fur  some  of  his  cussed 
stole  goods."  The  reminiscence  was  too  much  for  the 
pure-minded  Pierch ;  he  forthwith  attacked  the  ped- 
dler, tooth  and  nail,  being  stimulated  thereto  and  en- 
couraged therein  by  the  shouts  of  the  bystanders,  who 
made  the  welkin  ring  with  cries  of  "give  it  to  him, 
Pierch,"  "under-handed  licks,"  "follow  him  up,"  etc. 
The  gallant  Colonel,  having,  at  length,  by  a  well- 
directed  blow,  felled  his  antagonist  to  the  earth,  and 
presently  getting  astride  of  his  body,  proceeded  to 


JEWED.  337 

carry  him  through  a  process  of  gouging  and  punching 
that  reminded  me  greatly  of  an  excited  female  do- 
mestic kneading  dough.  The  appalling  yells  of  the 
miserable  peddler  at  length  excited  commiseration  in 
the  breast  of  some  of  the  bystanders,-  who,  by  an  ex- 
ertion of  main  strength,  rent  the  Colonel  from  his 
victim. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  on  joining  a  crowd  which 
was  rapidly  gathering  about  a  common  center,  I  found 
Col.  Pierch  had  mounted  a  stump,  and  was  proceeding 
to  address  the  assemblage.  The  speaker  was  fond  of 
the  art,  and  never  let  any  suitable  opportunity  escape 
improvement.  He  began :  "Feller  citizens,  I  have 
arize  before  you  on  this  egsitin  occashun,  called  forth, 
I  mout  say,  by  circumstances  which  no  man  could 
have  calkalated  on.  We've  bin  (at  least  those  backin' 
Rolette)  powerfully  exercised  in  feelins  by  the  con- 
duct ov  a  worthless  critter  as  ought  never  been  al- 
lowed on  the  ground,  which  it'll  be  a  lesson,  I  hope, 
to  every  man  here,  that  whenever  he  sees  sich 
varmints  a-sneakin'  about,  to  give  'em  a  warping 
that'll  put  'em  in  notion  of  huntin'  some  other  market, 
and  that  pretty  fast,  too.  I've  come  to  the  conclusion, 
feller  citizens,  ov  raisin'  no  squabble  about  the  matter, 
but  to  give  up  the  stakes.  It  weren't  Keeno's  fault, 
who's  a  good  feller,  and  wouldn't  fur  a  minit  uphold 
the  peddler  in  sich  doin's  as  has  been  gwine  through; 
but  though  he  won  by  accident,  yet  he  won  the  race. 
Ef  we  were  in  his  place,  I  expect  we  would  most  prob- 
ably be  for  keepin'  the  money,  too.  The  fair,  even 
thing,  is  the  real  clever  thing.  It's  the  mottow  I've 
stood  by  all  my  life  to  have  a  karecter.  And  I've 
often,  when  ridin'  home  from  a  muster  or  horse  race, 


338  THE   LUKE   LIGHT  WOOD   LEGACY. 

or  camp  meetin',  said  to  myself,  you  may  take  my 
puss,  take  my  hoss,  take  my  liker,  but  leave  me  my 
karecter,  fur  it's  a  stake  as'll  do  to  lariat  to  the  wost 
night  that  kin  fall.  I've  had  some  satisfaction,  feller 
citizens,"  continued  the  speaker ;  "I've  had  some  satis- 
faction, for  I've  laroped  that  cussed  peddler  ontwill  I 
don't  think  he's  gwine  to  git  in  a  hoss's  way  agin  soon. 
Whippin'  the  cuss  has  put  a  bad  taste  in  my  mouth ; 
less  all  go  back  to  the  grocery  and  licker." 

The  Colonel  descended  from  the  stump  amid  the 
loud  applause  of  his  audience,  most  of  whom  were 
soon  proceeding  back  to  the  town  to  avail  themselves 
of  his  general  invitation. 

"Squire,"  said  the  Colonel  in  a  low  tone  to  me,  as 
we  rode  back  together,  "keep  dark,  but  I  ain't  as  bad 
hurt  as  you  mout  suppose.  I  compt'd  with  Keeno,  and 
got  back  half  my  stake.  And  mind,  I  don't  say 
they're  fraudulous  to  my  certain  knowledge,  but  I'm 
mighty  afeard  that  Keeno,  or  whoever  locates,  will 
find  diffikilty  in  gettin'  patterns .  on  them  surtifikits 
he's  got— left." 


FLUSHED. 


In  the  spring  of  185-,  Tom  J.  and  myself 

were  employed  upon  opposite  sides  of  a  cause,  which 
was  set  to  be  tried  before  the  Probate  Court  of  Poin- 
sett  County,  Arkansas.  Lawyers  are  always  cheek 
by  jowl,  except  when  actually  engaged  before  the 
Court ;  consequently,  we  started  and  traveled  to  the 
county  seat  together.  As  each  wished  to  examine  the 


FLUSHED.  339 

records  before  the  case  came  on,  we  arranged  our  de- 
parture so  as  to  arrive  there  several  days  before  Court. 
Up  to  the  Saturday  preceding  court-day,  we  were 
busily  engaged ;  and  I  must  confess  that  on  that 
morning  I  for  one  was  rather  pleased  than  other- 
wise when  we  were  informed  by  the  landlord  that  we 
might  expect  "a  pretty  smart  sprinkling  of  folks  in 
town  to-day,  "  'cause  there's  to  be  a  big  quarter-race 
run  over  thar  on  the  race-track  to-day." 

"Whose  are  the  horses,  and  what  are  the  stakes?" 
we  inquired. 

"Why,  Jim  Donavan's  mar'  is  a  gwine  to  run 
against  Mat  Martin's  big  black  hoss  for  a  hundred 
dollars,"  answered  he,  "and  the  hull  county  will  be  out 
to  see  it." 

Now,  Jim  Donavan  was  the  Sheriff  of  the  county, 
and  Mat  Martin  was  the  keeper  of  a  favorite  grocery 
near  by ;  and  as  both  were  great  favorites,  we  felt  con- 
vinced that  the  landlord  was  right  in  expecting  a 
crowd. 

Sure  enough,  as  the  sun  began  to  rise,  the  people 
began  pouring  in  from  all  sides,  and  by  ten  o'clock 
there  were  between  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  two 
hundred  men,  women  and  children,  followed  by  about 
four  hundred  dogs,  gathered  in  front  of  the  town 
grocery.  Tom  and  I  were  standing  by  looking  on, 
having  saluted  our  acquaintances,  when  the  Sheriff, 
with  whom  we  were  favorites,  came  into  town  riding 
the  mare. 

"How-de-do,  boys!  how-de-do!"  exclaimed  he 
as  soon  as  he  recognized  us,  springing  to  the  ground, 
and  extending  to  each  a  hand.  "I  knowed  it,"  con- 
tinued he ;  "I  knowed  you  down-the-country  fellers 


340  THE   LUKE   LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

couldn't  be  kept  away  from  this  here  hoss  race  as  soon  as 
you  heerd  that  this  here  mar'  was  gwine  to  run ! 
You've  come  up  here  to  bet  your  pile  on  her,  and  to 
win,  too,  for  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  that  thar  hoss  don't 
stand  no  manner  of  chance !  He  can't  tich  bottom  no 
how !  This  here  mar'  can  out-run  a  hatful  of  bad- 
skeered  lightnin',  she  kin !  Come,  all  you  what's  for 
the  mar',  let's  lick'r." 

This  invitation  was  addressed  to  the  crowd ;  and 
from  the  number  that  availed  themselves  of  it,  an  in- 
experienced observer  might  have  inferred  that  the 
black  horse  had  no  partisans  whatever  in  the  crowd. 
That  such  was  not  the  case,  however,  was  soon 
proved,  by  the  arrival  of  Mat  with  a  similar  invitation, 
when  a  fully  equal  number  "lickered"  for  the  "hoss." 
The  fact  is,  the  whole  crowd  drank  both  times.  And 
now  came  the  closing  scene  preparatory  to  proceeding 
to  the  race-ground.  The  horses  were  brought  around, 
amid  the  cheers  of  the  crowd,  and  the  hectoring  of 
Mat,  who,  in  loud  tones  of  voice,  began  advising  his 
opponents  to  "blindfold  their  mar',  or  put  her  in  the 
stable,  'cause  if  she  was  to  cotch  sight  of  this  here 
hoss,  she'd  swooned  right  away,  she  would !"  And 
occasionally  he  would  pretend  to  blindfold  his  horse, 
"  'cause  as  how,  if  he  war  to  get  a  good  look  at  the 
critter  he  had  to  run  against,  he'd  be  dead  sure  not  to 
run  a  mite,  he'd  be  so  'shamed."  Here  the  Sheriff  in- 
terfered— swore  "he  warn't  a  gwine  to  hear  his  mar' 
abused  that  way" — stepped  out  from  the  crowd 
dashed  his  hat  upon  the  ground  and  invited  Mat  to 
step  out  and  "take  a  chunk  of  a  fight."  Mat,  nothing 
loth,  complied  with  the  invitation ;  others  of  the  crowd 
took  sides  for  one  or  the  other,  and  matters  appeared 
very  fair  for  a  general  "scrimmage,"  when  Tom  and  I 


FLUSHED.  341 

interfered,  and,  by  a  little  judicious  management,  suc- 
ceeded in  quieting  the  excitement  and  restoring  peace. 
At  our  suggestion  (and  expense)  the  crowd  again 
"lickered,"  and  then  repaired  to  the  race-ground.  But 
if  we  were  surprised  at  the  preliminaries,  we  were 
astonished  when  we  arrived  at  the  ground  and  sur- 
veyed the  track,  or  rather  the  tracks.  I  will  try  and 
describe  them,  and  sporting  men  can  take  items  if  they 
choose.  There  was  no  quarter  of  a  mile  in  the  country 
level  enough  to  make  a  track,  so  they  commenced 
upon  the  top  of  a  small  hill,  descended  that,  ascended 
and  descended  another,  and  terminated  in  the  hollow. 
Thus,  on  account  of  the  intervening  hill,  persons  at 
one  end  of  the  track  could  not  see  what  was  transpir- 
ing at  the  other.  Two  spaces,  each  about  two  feet 
wide,  had  been  cleaned  the  whole  length  of  the  tracks ; 
and  in  order  to  obtain  a  good  bottom,  these  tracks  had 
been  dug  down  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  so  that 
the  horses  were  to  run  in  trenches,  or  ditches, — in- 
tended, I  suppose,  to  keep  them  from  flying  the  track. 
These  two  trenches,  or  ditches,  were  about  ten  or 
twelve  feet  from  each  other;  and  as  the  undergrowth 
had  not  been  cleared  out  of  the  intervening  space, 
and  there  grew  thick  and  heavy,  only  occasional 
glimpses  couldbe  obtained  bythe  rider  upon  one  track 
of  any  one  upon  the  other.  This  fact  Tom  and  I 
demonstrated  to  our  own  satisfaction  by  riding  over 
the  tracks,  but  the  tracks  were  not  the  only  objects 
of  interest.  An  observer  of  human  nature  might  have 
passed  days  in  that  crowd,  and  each  minute  of  every 
day  might  have  discovered  some  new,  and  to  him 
astonishing,  trait  to  wonder  at  and  admire.  About  a 
hundred,  or  a  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  of  all  ageb 
and  sexes,  had  collected  to  witness  the  race,  and  as 


342  THE    LUKE   UGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

each  horse  had  his  partisans,  there  was  a  considerable 
amount  of  excitement  visible.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  betting,  too,  and  jack-knives,  dimes,  and  thim- 
bles were  waged  freely  upon  the  result  of  the  race, 
while  a  pair  of  ardent  bare-footed  lovers,  who  ap- 
peared upon  the  course  hand  in  hand,  were  heard  to 
bet  a  kiss ;  and  in  a  very  short  time  afterwards  were 
both  seen  to  pay  up  before  it  was  known  who  was 
to  win. 

The  greatest  character  upon  the  ground  was  Mat 
Martin's  wife,  who,  knowing  that  "doubtful  things 
are  mighty  onsartin,"  and  that  Mat  might  possibly 
lose  the  race,  had  determined — spirited  woman  that 
she  was(!) — that  she  would  try  to  make  something 
sure  anyhow,  and  so  appeared  upon  the  ground,  in  a 
little  wagon,  well  stocked  from  her  husband's  grocery 
Tom  and  I  soon  found  her  out,  and  by  a  few  well- 
timed  compliments  paid  to  the  horse  so  completel} 
won  her  heart  that  she  invited  us  to  drink,  and  im- 
mediately produced  a  bottle  of  liquid,  which  she  pro- 
nounced to  be  the  "rale  brandy,  none  of  your  make- 
believe  stuff,"  and  told  us  to  help  ourselves.  We 
complied  without  hesitation,  and  each  poured  out  a 
moderate  drink  and  drank  it.  How  I  ever  managed 
to  swallow  my  share  of  it  I  do  not  know,  for  a  more 
detestable  compound  never  was  labelled  brandy.  I 
did  swallow  it,  however,  but  could  not  repress  the 
look  of  disgust  which  rose  to  my  face,  nor  prevent  the 
involuntary  application  of  my  hand  to  my  burning 
"innards."  The  woman  turned  fiercely  toward  me, 
and  exclaimed :  "Now,  look  here,  stranger,  you 
needn't  put  on  any  of  your  squalmishness  and  city 
ways  about  that  brandy,  'cause  I  know  it  is  the  rale 
stuff,  'cause  my  old  man  paid  sixty  cents  a  gallon  for 


FLUSHED.  343 

it  in  Wittsburg,  and,  moren'  that,  if  you  don't  like  the 
brandy,  he's  here  himself,  and  he  can  whip  it  out  of 
you  in  less  than  no  time,  and  will  do  it,  too,  if  you  say 
so." 

This  was  what  might  be  called  a  "knock-down 
and  drag-out  argument ;"  and  as  I  did  not  doubt  Mat's 
ability  and  willingness  to  do  it,  I  hastened  to  apolo- 
gize. It  took  some  time  to  molify  the  dame;  but 
after  awhile  I  succeeded,  and  was  able  to  turn  my  at- 
tention again  to  the  preparation  for  the  race.  Mat 
and  the  Sheriff  were  mounted  upon  their  respective 
horses,  some  hundred  yards  apart,  and  communicated 
with  each  other  by  means  of  ambassadors.  Their 
intercourse,  free  enough  before,  was  immediately 
stopped  when  they  arrived  upon  the  ground ;  and,  like 
opposing  generals  arranging  the  details  of  a  truce, 
each  had  taken  his  station,  surrounded  by  his  staff, 
and  communicated  with  each  other,  or  with  the  dif- 
ferent bodies  under  his  command,  only  by  means  of 
aids.  These  important  individuals  were  careering 
wildly  over  the  grounds,  bearing  messages  to  every 
part  of  the  field,  while,  occasionally,  after  a  close  and 
eager  consultation  among  those  composing  one  or 
other  of  the  principal  groups,  some  one  would  pace 
forward  at  a  more  dignified  gait,  charged  with  some 
communication  for  the  opposite  party. 

Foremost  among  the  supporters  of  the  Sheriff,  I. 
noticed  his  deputy  and  a  tall,  thin,  straight  man  in  a 
red  shirt,  while  Mat  had  for  his  "Bowers,"  a  short  and 
dirty  little  man,  whose  name  I  did  not  learn,  and  a 
larger  specimen  of  the  "genus  homo,"  who  rejoiced  in 
the  peculiar  and  appropriate  cognomen  of  "Rip." 
Each  and  every  one  of  these  four  evidently  considered 
himself  as  second  in  importance  only  to  the  owners 


344  THE   LUKE   LIGHTWOOD   LEGACY. 

of  the  horses,  and  bore  himself  accordingly.  It  was 
truly  surprising  to  see  with  what  grace  and  dignity 
"red  shirt"  would  step  out  of  the  ranks  and  advance 
to  receive  "short  and  dirty,"  who  approached,  bearing 
some  message  to  the  Sheriff,  and  how  "Rip"  would 
bear  himself  as  he  repeated  some  order  of  Mat's  to  the 
minor  aids.  From  the  time  that  was  consumed  in 
these  transactions,  vast  and  important  affairs  must 
have  been  settled,  but  what  they  were  I  am  unable  to 
state,  as  outsiders  were  carefully  excluded.  In  the 
meantime,  Mrs.  Martin  drove  a  thriving  business;  and 
I  began  to  suspect,  as  evening  drew  on,  without  the 
preparation  being  completed,  that  the  managers  of  the 
race  were  in  "cohoots"  with  her,  and  were  protracting 
the  "preliminaries"  purposely. 

Everything  must  have  an  end,  however,  and  so  did 
the  horse-race.  The  horses  were  put  upon  the  track — 
a  whoop  from  the  further  end  proclaimed  the  start. 
Anxiously  we  waited  for  their  appearance.  At  length 
they  appeared,  the  mare  somewhat  in  advance.  A 
loud  shout  from  her  friends  proclaimed  their  interest 
in  the  race,  but  the  shout  stopped  the  fun  for  the  day. 
Both  horses  became  frightened,  reared,  threw  their 
riders,  and  plunged  into  the  woods.  Never  did  I  see 
men  look  so  blank!  Tom  and  I  shouted  with  laugh- 
ter, but  we  soon  found,  from  the  lowering  looks  bent 
upon  us,  that  unless  something  was  done  quickly  to 
turn  aside  their  resentment,  our  mirth  might  be 
changed  into  mourning.  Fortunately,  however,  we 
knew  a  panacea  for  that  evil.  Before  many  minutes 
we  had  bought  out  Mrs.  Martin's  stock.  We  placed 
the  barrel  upon  the  ground,  removed  the  end,  and  in- 
vited the  crowd  to  pitch  in — and  they  did.  On  Mon- 
day morning,  when  Court  met,  there  weren't  enough 
sober  men  to  be  found  to  make  up  a  jury,  and  the 
Judge  fined  the  both  of  us  for  contempt  of  court. 


JOHNNY'S  COLT. 


Johnny's  wee  fuzzy  colt  with  the  light  bushy  tail, 
And   the   big,    dreamy   eyes    so   good   natured   and 

brown, 

Which  reflected  your  face  as  he  stood  by  the  rail ; 
Was  the  pet  of  the  farm  when  the  folk  came  from 
town. 

He  was  foaled  in  the  lot  near  the  brook  where  the 
skegs 

Mark  the  spot  where  I  took  my  first  trout  with  a  fly, 
And  was  stumbling  about  on  his  long  wobbly  legs 

When  the  groom  who  first  saw  him  was  galloping  by. 

All  the  men  on  the  place  said  he  was  highly  bred, 
By  a  great  racing  horse,  name  unknown,  while  the 
mare 

Had  at  one  time  belonged  to  a  neighbor  now  dead, 
And  was  known  to  have  won  a  fast  race  at  the  fair. 

She  was  high  strung  and  flighty,  but  game  to  the  core, 
And  would  try  to  the  finish,  to  harness  or  pole, 

But  went  wrong  in  her  hip  and  was  heard  of  no  morer 
Until  after  the  boys  fell  in  love  with  her  foal. 

In  the  long  summer  days  I  oft  leaned  on  the  bar, 
And  dreamed  honors  for  him  on  a  fast  strip  of  dirt ; 

Made  him  tramp  on  the  records  like  Major  Delmar, 
Or  spread  eagle  the  pacers  like  old  Prince  Alert. 

And  the  cute  little  chap  with  a  mane  like  spun  silk, 
Would  look  at  me  and  whinner  or  scamper  and  play; 

Snuggle  to  me  for  sugar  or  call  for  the  milk 

Which  the  farmer  prescribed  for  the  colt  twice  a  day. 

'Tis  these  small  dreams  of  hope  which  prompt  many 
to  try 

In  the  struggle  of  life  for  a  fortune  jolt 
Which  will  make  them  a  winner  in  the  public  eye 

With  a  yacht,  with  a  gun,  or  a  bushy  tailed  colt. 


THE  TOUT. 


"Come  on!     I'll  bet  you  two  to  one 

I'll  make  him  do  it!     Will  you!     Done." Holmes. 

You  have  seen  him.  You  have  heard  the  rattle  of 
his  brassy  voice  as  he  offers  to  bet  a  dollar  on  the 
outside  after  the  judges  have  given  the  word.  There 
may  be  a  few  who  have  cause  to  remember  the  crafty 
confidence  man  of  the  turf,  as  touts  come  in  all  colors 
and  flourish  in  all  lands.  They  swarm  in  the  wake  of 
the  gallopers  and  "sweat"  from  town  to  town  with 
the  trotters.  Wherever  there  is  betting  you  will  find 
them.  They  manage  to  hang  on  by  their  eyelids,  but 
how,  none  but  themselves  can  tell.  To  an  outsider, 
the  mysteries  of  a  crap  game  are  simpler  than  the 
wriggling  of  the  tout  from  one  end  of  the  season  to 
the  other. 

The  average  tout's  apparel  and  wardrobe,  like  a 
fresh  water  fisherman's,  depends  on  the  run  of  "suck- 
ers." If  they  are  plentiful,  nothing  from  patent 
leather  shoes  and  a  diamond  pin  up  to  a  swell  hotel  is 
good  enough ;  but  the  fall  conies  as  sure  as  fate. 
Turn  the  average  tout  loose  with  money  and  he  blows 
himself.  Wit  runs  out  when  wealth  goes  in,  but  re- 
turns as  the  roll  decreases.  There  are  exceptions, 
however,  as  there  has  been  cases  where  the  dollar 
bettor  climbed  the  ladder  of  success  and  settled  in 
Easy  Street. 

Stable  secrets  are  the  tout's  stock  in  trade.  When 
he  finds  an  empty  ear  it  does  not  take  him  long  to  fill 


THE   BETTING   COMMISSIONER.  347 

it  with  the  performances  and  the  breeding  of  the 
starters.  He  is  as  familiar  with  their  physical  con- 
dition as  the  trainer,  and,  in  addition  to  that,  knows 
what  each  owner  and  trainer  is  going  to  do  in  the 
race.  A  hint  that  you  will  put  down  fifty  and  declare 
him  in,  should  it  win,  makes  him  your  boon  com- 
panion until  after  the  race.  Should  it  fail,  and  you 
are  not  game  enough  to  look  for  your  money  where 
you  lost  it,  the  information  bureau  looks  for  another 
"game  sport,"  if  he  has  not  already  touted  a  couple  of 
other  horses  in  the  same  race  to  different  parties. 

As  soon  as  a  new  man  pulls  in  with  a  couple  of 
horses,  the  tout,  if  he  is  inside  a  good  suit  of  clothes, 
interviews  him.  If  down  at  the  heel,  he  worms  his 
way  into  the  good  graces  of  the  help,  boards  with 
them,  if  they  have  a  cook,  and  sleeps  in  the  feed  stall, 
if  they  will  let  him.  By  doing  odd  jobs  around  the 
stable  he  learns  what  is  going  on,  while  he  is  always 
looking  for  some  one  who  will  pay  for  what  informa- 
tion he  can  glean. 

Touts  have  unlimited  assurance,  and  to  become 
expert  in  their  line  of  business  they  must  also  remem^ 
ber  all  of  the  fairy  tales  they  weave  during  a  meeting. 
A  gullible  man  wifl  believe  another  without  a 
whimper,  if  he  will  stand  pat  even  after  a  losing.  He 
figures  that  the  man  with  the  information  has  a  key 
to  something  which  failed  to  connect,  while  he  is  con- 
vinced that  the  tout,  with  his  apparently  flattering 
connections,  knows  more  than  he  does,  or  even 
claims  to. 

On  all  of  the  large  tracks  there  is  another  class 
termed  "betting  commissioners,"  or  "gentlemen 
touts."  They  have  money.  At  the  hotel  they  have 


348  THE   TOUT. 

the  finest  suit  of  rooms,  and  by  a  little  maneuvering 
manage  to  secure  the  confidence  of  a  few  of  the 
drivers.  As  a  rule,  the  manager  of  a  stable  wants 
some  one  to  look  after  his  interests  in  the  betting  ring, 
providing  he  plays  a  little  money.  The  "gentleman 
tout"  is  on  Ijand  and  ready  to  do  it.  He  can  watch  the 
tide  of  affairs  and  report.  If  a  driver  has  to  be  seen, 
the  "gentleman  tout"  is  ready  to  report  for  duty,  or, 
if  it  is  too  glaring,  hunts  up  some  one  who  will  do  the 
work. 

The  usual  method  of  the  "gentleman  touts/'  and 
the  "sure  thing  players,"  is  to  get  their  heads  together 
and  pick  out  a  race  for  a  killing.  The  outsiders,  if 
their  starters  are  considered  of  any  account,  are  inter- 
viewed. Should  they  decline  to  do  business,  and 
enough  pressure  cannot  be  brought  to  bear  to  bring 
the  owner  and.  driver,  or  at  least  the  latter,  into  line, 
they  either  call  it  off  or  start  out  to  win,  sink  or  swim. 
At  such  a  time  the  outsider  can  look  for  war.  If  he 
has  not  speed  enough  to  go  out  in  front  and  stay 
there,  he  can  look  for  pockets,  cutoffs,  fouls  and  all 
kinds  of  impediments.  A  fresh  horse  will  tackle  him 
each  heat  and  carry  him  all  over  the  track,  up  against 
the  fence,  or  over  it,  if  the  money  is  on  and  being 
singed. 

The  "gentleman  tout"  is  also  a  clever  entertainer. 
When  he  is  looking  for  the  smiles  of  a  hew  man,  and 
if  that  man  is  fresh  from  the  bushes,  a  quiet  little 
dinner,  with  a  cold  bottle,  followed  by  a  trip  to  the 
show,  usually  does  the  work-  He  will  put  a  hundred 
on  for  Mr.  Freshman  to  win ;  will  see  that  so  and  so 
does  not  interfere  with  his  horse,  and  do  a  dozen 
other  things  to  keep  the  ball  rolling.  Nothing  is  too 


THE   WORD.  349 

good  for  the  new  arrival  until  after  the  race,  when,  if 
his  starter  does  not  come  up  to  expectations,  they 
part.  Should  he  have  a  clever  horse,  Mr.  Freshman 
is  declared  in  with  all  the  good  things  in  which  he  has 
a  starter  and  is  a  member  of  the  guild  just  so  long  as 
his  horse  holds  his  form,  always  providing  that  he 
does  not  talk  too  much. 

But  of  "tout,"  the  word  itself,  Webster  says,  "One 
who  secretly  watches  race  horses  which  are  in  course 
of  training  to  get  information  about  their  capacities, 
for  use  in  betting."  There  is  nothing  in  the  Diction- 
ary to  show  where  the  word  comes  from,  but  from 
other  sources  I  learn  that  it,  like  English  racing,  dates 
from  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  when  the  sprucer  sort 
of  citizens  galloped  from  London  to  Epsom  not  to  see 
the  Derby  or  the  Oaks,  as  they  were  then  unheard  of, 
but  to  do  a  little  Epsom  water  drinking.  The  waters 
were  considered  efficacious,  and  the  citizens  east  of 
Temple  Bar  were  supposed  to  receive  much  benefit 
from  their  use.  The  citizen  on  his  way  to  Epsom, 
during  the  reign  of  the  "Merry  Monarch,"  was  met  at 
Tooting  by  tradesmen,  quack  doctors  and  lodging- 
house  keepers,  with  so  many  importunities  for  patron- 
age that  the  word  "touting"  derives  its  origin  from 
the  village  where  their  plying  for  trade  was  carried  to 
such  an  extent.  The  step  from  "tooting"  or  "tout- 
ing" to  "tout"  is  too  apparent  to  require  comment. 


GETTING  EVEN. 


Harry  called  her  a  Morgan,  high-mettled  and  gay, 

With  her  head  in  the  air  and  her  tail  in  the  breeze, 
While  her  tapering  ears  were  as  quick  in  their  play 

As  squirrels  when  they  romp  on  the  limbs  of  the  trees, 
With  a  neck  like  a  swan;  her  big  eyes  had  the  glint 

Which  you  see  in  the  stars  on  a  cold  winter  night; 
She  pleased  me — we  exchanged  without  even  a  hint 

That  the  beauty  was  balky,  could  kick,  and  would  bite. 
Being  sound  and  well-bred  with  a  place  for  her  feed, 

I  repeated  her  'till  she  was  willing  to  rest, 
And  when  balanced  I  found  that  she  had  enough  speed 

To  engage  in  the  circuit  and  score  with  the  best. 

There  are  horse  traders,  and  then  there  are  horse 
traders,  and  all  of  them  follow  the  calling  (you  can 
scarcely  dignify  it  with  the  title  of  a  profession)  if  you 
can  believe  them,  to  use  a  racing  term,  "for  some 
fun  and  some  money."  Its  devotees  learn  from  one 
another,  and  by  the  time  one  of  the  old  guard  becomes 
a  past  master  in  the  art  of  reading  the  defects  of  an- 
other man's  nag,  a  youngster  comes  along  and  gives 
him  a  sleeper.  This  is  the  exception,  however,  and 
only  goes  to  prove  the  rule  that  nature,  in  the  end, 
evens  up  all  things  between  the  good  and  the  bad,  the 
sharp  and  the  flat.  But  in  a  horse  trade  those  who 
have  made  a  study  of  it  will  tell  you  that  the  only  way 
to  succeed  is  to  let  the  other  fellow  do  all  of  the 
talking  and,  if  you  can  hold  your  tongue,  let  him  do 
the  trading,  or,  at  all  events,  propose  something. 
That  is  the  starting  point. 


A   FEW   POINTERS.  351 

Experience  has  also  taught  the  silent  trader  that 
it  is  not  necessary  to  look  at  the  other  man's  horse  if 
you  want  to  learn  what  is  the  matter  with  him,  but 
it  is  necessary  to  keep  an  eye  on  what  is  being  done 
with  your  own.  You  can  put  it  in  your  pipe  and 
smoke  it  for  a  solemn  fact,  that  when  a  man  is  making 
all  kinds  of  motions  to  learn  if  your  horse  is  blind, 
that  he  is  anxious  to  get  clear  of  one  that  has  a  bad 
pair  of  eyes.  If  he  asks  about  the  heaves  or  begins 
to  look  for  spavins  or  ring  bones,  in  nine  times  out 
of  ten  you  will  find  something  of  that  kind  on  his 
bag  of  bones. 

There  was  a  day,  however,  when  I  did  not  think 
that  way.  I  was  driving  a  stage  over  the  hills  in 
Vermont,  that  paradise  of  horse  swappers,  and  had 
made  a  few  good  trades.  Finally,  one  pleasant  morn- 
ing, a  farmer  with  an  eye  for  a  horse  and  church  mat- 
ters, put  a  "fitty"  one  on  to  me.  It  was  a  bad  piece 
of  business  and  might  have  been  the  death  of  some- 
one, but,  fortunately,  I  found  it  out  before  any  dam- 
age was  done  except  a  pair  of  broken  thills  and  a 
severe  strain  on  my  temper.  There  was  no  use 
crying  about  it,  however,  and  instead  of  sitting  down 
and  taking  my  medicine,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  get 
even. 

Some  time  after  the  "fitty"  horse  had  gone,  as  all 
trading  horses  go,  to  another  stable,  I  managed  to 
get  a  rip  staving,  fine  five-year-old  horse  that  could 
make  the  old  coach  hum.  I  put  him  on  the  off  side, 
so  that  he  would  not  be  bothered  when  passing  teams 
and  saw  that  he  was  kept  busy  from  the  time  he 
pulled  out  in  the  morning  to  the  end  of  the  run.  I 
had  my  reasons  for  it,  as  this  clever  young  horse,  not- 


352  GETTING   EVEN. 

withstanding  all  of  his  good  qualities,  had  a  fault,  and 
a  very  bad  one.  He  was  a  kicker,  and  one  of  the 
worst  you  ever  put  an  eye  on.  The  only  time  he  ever 
bothered  me  (I  do  not  know  what  he  did  with  other 
people,  neither  did  I  inquire,  except  in  one  case,  of 
which  I  win  relate  later,)  was  in  the  morning.  Then  if 
you  went  near  him,  after  he  had  been  fed,  it  looked  as 
though  his  feet  were  in  the  air  all  of  the  time.  He 
was  so  bad  that  I  had  to  arrange  matters  so  that  I 
could  drop  the  harness  on  him  from  the  loft,  and  the 
strangest  part  of  it  all  was,  that  as  soon  as  he  felt  the 
straps  on  his  back  he  became  as  gentle  as  a  lamb— 
or  at  least  he  did  for  me. 

As  soon  as  I  learned  the  ways  of  this  horse,  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  he  was  the  proper  subject  for 
my  friend  who  gave  me  the  "fitly"  one.  About  a 
week  after  the  kicker  came  to  me,  I  was  driving  the 
coach  over  a  hill  when  I  saw  my  dear  friend  on  the 
top  of  another  one.  He  appeared  to  have  a  right 
shifty  kind  of  a  horse,  but  one  that  did  not  have  as 
much  style  as  the  off  one  in  my  pair.  As  the  teams 
approached  each  other  I  kept  my  eye  on  the  horse 
coming  down  the  road  and  saw  that  he  put  every  foot 
in  its  place,  and  acted  as  if  there  was  nothing  the 
matter  with  him.  We  met  in  the  middle  of  a  little 
valley,  and  as  there  were  no  passengers  on  board,  I 
stopped  and  stumped  him  for  a  trade.  He  knew  that 
he  owed  me  one,  so  I  introduced  the  business  by  ask- 
ing him  how  he  would  trade  for  my  nigh  horse. 

"I  would  rather  have  the  off  one,"  said  he. 

"Would  you?"  says  I. 

"Yes,"  said  he.     "I'll  trade  you  even  for  him." 


THE  ACCOUNT  BALANCED.  353 

"Done,"  said  I,  "and  we  can  change  them  right 
here  if  you  say  the  word." 

We  changed,  my  horse  to  all  appearances  not 
being  in  the  kicking  humor  at  that  moment.  As  he 
took  up  the  reins  to  drive  away  he  turned  half  around 
in  his-  seat  and,  with  a  fox-in-the-hole  smile,  asked  me 
if  there  was  anything  wrong  with  the  horse. 

"Well,  now,"  said  I,  as  I  climbed  into  the  seat,  "if 
you  will  ask  the  barn  man  at  the  first  hotel  down  the 
road,  he  will  tell  you  all  about  that  horse,"  and  with 
a  good  morning,  I  drove  on.  The  following  day,  on 
the  down  trip,  I  learned  that  the  barn  man  had  given 
him  due  warning  by  telling  him  that  the  handsome 
off  horse  would  kick  his  hat  off  if  he  did  not  look  out. 
He  tried  him  good  and  plenty  and  found  it  was  only 
too  true,  and  as  he  did  not  have  enough  work  or 
patience  to  get  along  with  him,  I  sent  a  man  over  and 
bought  him  back  for  $40.  The  next  time  I  met  my 
friend  with  an  eye  for  a  horse  and  church  matters,  the 
kicker  was  in  his  place  on  the  off  side.  He  did  not 
offer  to  pull  up  or  even  return  my  salute  when  I 
tipped  my  hat  to  him. 


CHAMP 


"I  would  not  have  the  horse  I  drive 

So  fast  that  folks  would  stop  and  stare; 

An   easy  gait  —  two-forty-five  — 
Suits  me;  I  do  not  care; 

Perhaps,  just  for  a  single  spurt, 
Some  seconds  less  would  do  no 


Lemuel  Jenkins  and  Uncle  Si  did  not  get  along 
well.  They  never  exchanged  words  for  over  thirty 
years  and  Lem  went  down  to  his  grave  without,  so 
far  as  the  world  knows,  forgiving  the  man  he  sup- 
posed to  be  his  enemy.  In  a  roundabout  way  I  heard 
that  the  trouble  was  originally  caused  by  a  trade,  but 
it  had  taken  place  so  long  ago  that  those  who  re- 
ferred to  it  had  forgotten  the  details,  if  they  ever 
knew  them.  As  the  years  rolled  by  they  seemed  to 
move  further  and  further  apart,  and  when  Lem's  only 
son,  on  the  day  he  was  of  age,  married  Uncle  Si's 
daughter,  Lizzie,  in  open  defiance  of  the  expressed 
wish  of  his  father,  it  looked  as  though  there  would  be 
trouble.  Father  and  son  parted  in  anger,  and  as  the 
young  man  had  nothing  but  a  sound  constitution  and 
plenty  of  pluck  to  fall  back  on  for  a  living,  Uncle  Si 
opened  his  door  and  took  him  into  partnership  in  his 
livery  and  sale  business.  Then  there  was  talk  galore 
in  the  village,  but  neither  Uncle  Si  nor  Lem  Jenkins 
said  a  word,  and  the  young  man  was  too  busy  learn- 
ing the  details  of  the  livery  business  to  pay  much  at- 
tention to  gossip. 


LEMUEL  JENKINS.  355 

This  Lemuel  Jenkins  was  a  cold,  sullen  man,  with 
a  disposition  to  find  fault  with  everything  from  the 
weather  up,  while  Uncle  Si  was  just  the  opposite. 
He  always  looked  the  world  in  the  face  with  a  smile 
and  had  a  good  word  for  everyone,  from  the  little  tot 
tugging  at  his  mother's  apron  strings  up  to  the  min- 
ister. He  and  Lem  had  been  boys  together,  attended 
the  same  school  and  joined  in  all  of  their  amusements 
until  both  of  them  were  men  grown.  I  might  also 
add  that  Lemuel  Jenkins  was  the  son  of  Uncle  Si's 
oldest  sister,  Helen.  She  was  married  when  Cyrus 
was  in  dresses  and  her  boy  was  but  two  or  three  years 
younger  than  his  uncle.  When  Helen  was  married  to 
Lemuel  Jenkins  some  said  he  was  old  enough  to  be 
her  father,  and  at  that  she  was  his  second  wife.  He 
had  a  two-hundred-acre  farm  three  miles  from  the  vil- 
lage. It  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  county,  and  it  did 
not  lose  any  of  its  good  qualities  under  her  care,  as,  ac- 
cording to  the  old  proverb,  in  this  case  the  "gray 
mare  was  the  better  horse." 

Helen  began  life  by  looking  out  for  Number  One, 
and  it  grew  on  her;  but  Uncle  Si  always  remarked, 
when  he  referred  to  the  subject,  "he  never  laid  it  up 
against  her."  Lemuel  was  her  only  child.  He  was 
named  after  his  father,  and  he,  in  turn,  gave  his  son 
the  same  name.  It  was  said  that  there  was  always  a 
Lemuel  in  the  Jenkins  family  for  time  out  of  mind, 
and  I  believe  it.  The  above  was  learned  after  a  dili- 
gent inquiry  from  the  older  people  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, while  the  balance  of  the  story  came  to  me  from 
Uncle  Si  the  day  after  Lemuel  Jenkins  was  buried. 
He  seemed  to  be  in  a  reminiscent  mood  when  the 
mourners  drove  away.  After  looking  in  the  fire  for 


356  CHAMP. 

some  time  he  bade  me  close  the  door  and  bolt  it. 
When  I  had  done  so,  he  made  the  following  state- 
ments : 

"When  I  returned  to  the  village  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  I  had  very  little  money,  but,  thank  the  Lord, 
a  good  stock  of  health,  which  has  remained  with  me 
from  that  day  to  this.  Three  years  in  the  cavalry 
gave  me  a  fair  idea  of  what  a  horse  can  do  and  what 
he  should  look  like  in  order  to  'stand  grief,'  as  the 
expression  goes.  This  knowledge  carried  me  into 
the  livery  and  sale  business,  which  I  have  followed 
from  that  day  to  this.  My  first  move  was  to  purchase 
the  good  will  of  a  man  that  was  leaving  town.  His 
business  was  located  in  an  old  barn  in  the  rear  of  the 
hotel  on  the  north  corner  of  Main  Street,  where  the 
Post  Office  now  stands.  On  making  an  inventory  of 
the  stock  I  found  he  had  half  a  dozen  wagons  for  light 
driving  and  as  rough  a  looking  lot  of  horse  stock  as 
ever  eat  hay  and  oats.  Trading  was  his  long  suit, 
and  from  the  looks  of  things  he  had  been  getting  the 
hot  end  of  the  poker- 

"In  order  to  even  up  matters,  I  auctioned  the 
whole  lot  and  made  a  trip  to  Buffalo  to  buy  three  or 
four  good  livery  horses.  I  found  what  was  wanted 
and  then  added  a  pair  of  workers  as  a  starter  in  the 
sale  business.  After  a  week  or  two  I  let  them  go, 
doubling  my  money,  as  in  those  days  the  farmers  did 
not  breed  as  many  mares  as  they  do  now.  This  gave 
me  an  idea  'as  to  where  the  money  was  in  the  horse 
business,  and  from  that  time  on  I  always  had  a  few 
for  sale.  Then  when  I  saw  a  fresh  young  horse  that 
I  thought  would  suit  the  city  trade,  I  bought  it  and 
sent  it  on.  By  1867  I  was  on  my  feet  and  had  a  little 


A   CHANCY   HORSE.  357 

laid  by.  That  spring  I  made  three  trips  to  Buffalo 
for  horses,  and  on  each  trip  I  saw  one  that  pleased  me 
clear  to  the  ground.  I  wanted  him  for  myself,  but 
could  not  get  him,  as  the  man  would  not  sell. 

"From  the  start,  it  looked  to  me  that  a  man  in  the 
horse  business  should  have  a  good  horse  for  a  trade- 
mark, and  one  that  the  people  would  know  as  soon  as 
they  saw  him  coming  down  the  road  or  into  town. 
This  horse  caught  my  fancy,  and  the  more  I  thought 
of  him  the  better  he  pleased  me.  He  was  a  golden 
sorrel,  standing  sixteen  hands  full,  with  four  white 
pasterns  and  a  broad,  white  strip  in  his  face.  His 
owner  said  he  was  of  the  Champion  breed,  from  up 
Auburn  way,  but  of  that  I  knew  nothing  at  that  time. 
I  did  know,  however,  that  there  was  not  such  another 
horse  in  our  county,  and  that  he  could  trot  a  mile  in 
three  minutes,  which  was  fast  enough  to  keep  out  of 
the  dust  in  this  section.  In  these  days  the  big  sorrel 
would  be  termed  a  'chancy  horse/  as  he  seemed  to  be 
at  home,  no  matter  how  or  to  what  you  hitched  him, 
while  his  bold,  fearless  way  of  going  rilled  me  full 
every  time  he  stepped  by.  Perhaps  you  have  never 
had  that  kind  of  horse  fever,  but  I  am  free  to  admit 
that  I  had  it  once,  and  had  it  bad.  Whenever  I 
thought  of  Buffalo  I  could  see  that  big  sorrel  horse 
with  the  white  face,  and  it  was  so  set  on  my  mind  I 
finally  decided  to  go  and  get  him  if  he  could  be 
bought  in  reason." 

At  this  point  Uncle  Si  walked  over  to  a  tall  desk  in 
the  corner  of  the  room  and  opened  a  little  drawer, 
from  which  he  took  a  time-stained  newspaper  and 
what  proved  to  be  an  ambrotype  of  a  horse.  As  he 
unfolded  the  paper  I  could  see  that  one  of  the  articles 


358  CHAMP. 

had  a  heavy  mark  drawn  around  it ;  but  before  refer- 
ring to  it,  he  handed  me  the  ambrotype  with  the  re- 
mark, "that  horse  was  the  cause  of  my  quarrel  with 
the  late  Lemuel  Jenkins."  As  I  examined  it  I  could 
see  it  was  the  picture  of  the  horse  he  had  been  de- 
scribing, and  the  sparkle  in  the  old  man's  eye  showed 
that  the  sight  of  it  still  pleased  him-  Handing  me  the 
newspaper,  he  said  he  would  continue  his  remarks 
when  I  had  read  the  marked  article.  The  paper  was 
a  portion  of  a  copy  of  the  "Buffalo  Express"  of 
August  15,  1867.  The  following  was  the  article, 
marked : — 

THE  DEXTER  TIME  RACE. 

Two  Seventeen  And  A  Quarter. 

Naturally,  the  all-absorbing  interest  of  the  occa- 
sion centered  in  the  race  which  Dexter  was  to  trot 
against  his  best  time,  and  his  appearance  on  the  track 
was  the  signal  for  prolonged  applause,  which  grew 
louder  as  Doble,  with  a  smile,  leaped  into  the  sulky 
preparatory  to  the  warming-up  process.  Fawcett 
was  standing  on  the  seat  of  a  barouche  near  the 
judges'  stand,  watch  in  hand,  and  smiling  signifi- 
cantly, as  he  viewed  the  movements  of  the  driver, 
who  went  back  and  forth  several  times,  and  at  length 
swung  around  for  a  full  mile,  first  giving  the  judges 
to  understand  that  the  heat  was  merely  preparatory. 
It  was  evident  that  if  the  horse  could  beat  2:19,  to- 
day was  the  time  for  the  trial.  Every  movement 
showed  perfect  condition.  Meanwhile,  in  a  carriage 
on  the  right  stood  a  gentleman  who  few  in  the  vast 
crowd  recognized,  but  who  kept  his  eye  upon  the 
horse,  and  as  he  passed,  shook  his  head,  as  if  to  say, 


DEXTER   CUTS  THE   RECORD.  361 

"He'll  do  it."  At  length  the  white-footed  flyer  was 
ready,  and  a  hundred  watches  clicked  as  he  passed 
beneath  the  line.  "Thirty-four,"  shouted  a  hundred 
voices  as  he  flashed  by  the  quarter.  Dead  silence 
ensued.  "One  ten,"  whispered  the  same  voices,  with 
suppressed  excitement,  as  the  white  face  disappeared 
behind  the  half-mile  post,  and  a  pin  could  have  been 
heard  to  fall  on  the  grand  stand  as  the  horse  dashed 
into  the  homestretch,  moving  swiftly,  but  without 
apparent  effort,  toward  the  goal.  "Two-sixteen." 
"Two-eighteen."  "Two-nineteen."  (a  long  breath.) 
"Two-twenty-one-ahalf,"  and  a  wild  cry  of  disap- 
pointment went  through  the  vast  throng.  Fawcett 
glanced  at  Doble,  who  merely  cast  up  his  eyes,  and 
the  owner  of  the  trotting  king  quietly  replaced  his 
watch  and  sat  down  to  await  what  he  now  knew  was 
to  be  the  result.  Meanwhile,  the  unostentatious  gen- 
tleman in  a  linen  duster,  and  looking  like  a  traveller 
whom,  moreover,  nobody  knew,  drew  his  time-piece 
and  rubbed  his  hands  with  satisfaction,  saying 
nothing. 

It  was  four  o'clock  when  Doble  again  appeared  on 
the  track,  with  difficulty  restraining  the  eager  horse. 

As  before,  Ben  Mace,  on  Charlotte  F.,  rode 
leisurely  after  him,  as  they  rolled  up  to  the  distance 
flag  and  turned  for  the  second  trial.  Again  the 
watches  leaped  to  view  and  the  quiet  gentleman  rose 
from  his  seat,  while  ten  thousand  people  held  their 
breath  in  suspense.  The  pace  was  already  tremend- 
ous as  the  horses  went  under  the  line  and  the  watches 
ticked  the  start.  "Thirty-three  and  a  fifth"  at  the 
quarter.  "One-seven"  said  the  time-keeper  when  the 
half  was  reached. 


362  CHAMP. 

In  a  cloud  of  dust  red  against  the  sky,  onward 
sped  the  flying  feet.  With  difficulty  the  excited 
crowd  was  kept  from  the  track,  the  unerring  watches 
swiftly  marking  the  seconds  as  they  flew.  "Two- 
ten."  Two-fifteen — without  a  skip."  "Two-seven- 
teen,  "  and  the  horse  touched  the  shadow  of  the  line 
and  was  gone  like  an  arrow.  A  wild  roar  of  applause 
swept  from  the  assembled  thousands  and  rolled  away 
in  silence  as  the  crowd,  leaping  all  barriers,  rushed  up 
to  the  stand  to  hear  the  official  decision.  "Two- 
seventeen  and  a  quarter."  Again  and  again  the 
cheers  went  up,  "Dexter,"  "Doble,"  "Fawcett,"  "The 
Buffalo  Park," — in  fact,  everything  and  everybody 
came  in  for  a  share  of  the  wild  enthusiasm  which 
would  not  be  repressed. 

The  pleasant  gentleman  whom  nobody  knew  was 
by  this  time  safe  in  the  press-stand,  when  Mayor 
Wells  turned  to  the  audience,  and  looking  down  upon 
the  sea  of  up-turned  faces,  said : 

"Gentlemen : — I  am  pleased  to  announce  to  you 
that  the  magnificent  animal  whose  triumph  you  have 
just  witnessed  has  been  purchased  by  Robert  Bonner, 
of  New  York.  He  will  trot  once  more  here  and  once 
in  Chicago,  and  will  then  pass  into  the  finest  private 
stable  in  the  world." 

Words  fail  to  convey  any  idea  of  the  scene  that 
followed.  There  was  something  that  seemed  to 
strike  the  popular  fancy  in  this  last  crowning  stroke 
of  the  man  whom  the  moment  before  very  few  knew, 
but  whom  thousands  recognized  as  if  by  intuition 
when  his  name  was  spoken.  Amid  a  perfect  tornado 
of  applause  the  quiet  looker-on  stepped  forward,  in 
answer  to  loud  calls  of  "Bonner!  Bonner!"  and  said: 


DEXTER   SOLD.  363 

"Gentlemen — Like  my  friend,  General  Grant,  I  can- 
not make  a  speech,  but  I  can  at  least  return  to  you 
my  sincere  thanks-"  It  was  better  than  many  words, 
and  the  vast  throng  once  more  roared  their  hearty 
admiration  of  Bonner  and  Dexter,  and  with  an  eager 
look  at  the  gentleman  in  the  linen  duster  they  turned 
away,  satisfied  with  the  glory  of  having  seen  in  a 
single  day  the  master  of  the  "Ledger"  and  witnessed 
the  fastest  trot  in  the  world. 

MR.  BONNER'S    STABLE. 

"You  know,"  said  Mr/  Bonner,  turning  to  a  friend, 
"I  always  had  the  ambition  to  have  the  largest  circu- 
lation and  the  finest  horses  in  the  world;  at  last  1 
think  I  have  both;"  and  he  immediately  wrote  the 
following  characteristic  telegram  to  a  friend  in  New 
York: 

"Buffalo,  August  14,  1867. 

"I  saw  Niagara  Falls  this  morning  for  the  first 
time,  and  I  came  down  here  this  afternoon  to  see  that 
other  great  wonder,  Dexter,  trotz  where  he  beat  the 
world,  having  trotted  in  the  unprecedented  time  of 
2:17^4.  You  know  how  I  like  to  secure  all  the  best 
things,  and  as  I  could  not  buy  the  Falls,  I  did  the  next 
best  thing,  and  bought  Dexter.  He  will  go  into  my 
stable  September  10." 

Dexter  will  trot  once  more  this  week,  and  then  go 
to  Chicago,  where  he  fulfills  two  engagements.  On 
the  loth  of  September  he  goes  into  Mr.  Bonner's 
stable,  and  will  thereafter  disappear  from  the  turf. 
From  that  time  he  will  never  again  trot  for  money, 
but  in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  the  Buffalo  Park 
has  witnessed  his  two  greatest  achievements,  Mr. 
Bonner,  it  is  said,  has  promised  to  show  him  here  next 


364  CHAMP. 

summer,  together  with  his  other  horses,  which  are  as 
follows : 

Peerless,  who  has  made  the  best  time  to  wagon, 

2:2314. 

The  Auburn  Horse,  eight  years  old,  who  can  beat 
2:20. 

Pocahontas,  who  can  go  in  2:23. 

Lady  Palmer  and  Flatbush  Maid,  who  have  to- 
gether made  two  miles  in  5  :oi>£  to  a  road  wagon. 

The  price  paid  for  Dexter  is  as  yet  a  secret,  but  it 
is  over  $30,000,  probably  considerably  more. 

"I  was  there  that  day,"  said  Uncle  Si,  "and  I  kept 
that  paper  to  remind  me  of  the  first  great  trotter  I 
ever  put  an  eye  on.  The  next  day  I  bought  Champ, 
which  was  the  name  of  the  sorrel  horse.  His  owner 
was  a  well-known  dealer  in  Buffalo,  and,  like  many 
another  man  before  and  since  him,  took  a  flyer  at 
the  races  and  lost.  At  this  fair  there  was,  as  I  re- 
member, a  race  for  horses  that  had  never  beaten  2 130. 
Nine  or  ten  horses  started  in  it,  and  every  one  was 
positive  that  a  mare  called  Crazy  Jane  would  win  it. 
Champ's  owner  was  sure  of  it,  and  if  he  told  me  once, 
he  told  me  fifty  times  it  was  like  finding  money  to 
bet  on  her. 

"Well,  you  never  in  your  born  days  seen  such  a 
mixed  up  race  as  that  one  was  before  they  were 
through  with  it.  If  I  had  been  a  betting  man,  which 
I  never  was,  my  money  would  have  gone  on  Melton, 
as  he  was  the  only  one  in  it  that  I  had  ever  seen  in  a 
race.  The  year  before  a  young  man  named  Simon 
James  came  over  from  Canada  with  this  horse  and 
won  a  good  race,  and  the  best  part  of  it  was  they  were 
not  looking  for  him.  He  sold  the  horse  to  a  man  up 


MEI/TON  WON.  365 

Michigan  way  and  he  had  him  at  this  time.  There  is 
a  summary  of  the  race  on  that  piece  of  paper  pinned 
to  that  newspaper,  and  by  looking  it  over  you  will 
find  that  they  were  at  it  two  days  and  trotted  nine 
heats.  I  remember  that  Crazy  Jane  was  distanced 
after  she  won  two  heats,  while  May  Queen  and  a 
horse  named  McClellan  also  won  two  heats ;  but 
Melton  wore  them  all  down  and  won  the  race. 

"When  Crazy  Jane  was  distanced,  Champ's  owner 
found  he  had  bet  more  money  than  he  could  spare, 
and  he  did  not  make  any  bones  in  telling  me  about  it. 
I  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  when  he  asked  me  to  let  him 
have  three  hundred  dollars  to  take  up  a  note  at  the 
bank  the  next  day,  I  told  him  I  would  think  about  it 
over  night  and  tell  him  in  the  morning.  He  knew  I 
had  the  money  with  me  and  was  certain  I  would  let 
him  have  it,  but  he  did  not  remember  the  old  song: 

"When  one  of  whom  a  favor's  asked 
Postpones  it  till  next  day, 
'Tis  to  a  man  who  knows  the  world 
As  if  he  said  him  Nay." 

"Next  morning,  when  I  told  him  I  would  give  him 
$300  for  Champ,  but  that  I  could  not  lend  that 
amount,  he  looked  at  me  rather  hard,  but  did  not  say 
much.  Finally  he  told  me  to  come  back  at  two 
o'clock  and  he  would  give  me  an  answer.  I  was  there 
on  the  stroke  of  the  clock  and  got  the  horse.  I 
learned  afterwards  that  he  tried  every  way  he  could 
think  of  to  raise  the  money,  but  somehow  the  bank 
people  learned  he  had  been  betting  and  would  not  ad- 
vance any  or  extend  the  time  on  the  note,  and  rather 
than  have  it  go  to  protest,  he  let  me  have  the  horse. 


366  CHAMP. 

"That  night  as  we  sat  by  the  stable  door  he  told 
me  all  about  Champ  and  his  peculiarities,  and  he  had 
a  few  of  them.  I  learned  that  Champ  would  stand 
anywhere  without  hitching  until  meal  time,  when,  if 
you  did  not  watch  him,  he  would  start  for  the  stable. 
If  you  hitched  him  in  the  street  he  would  break  the 
halter,  and  if  he  could  not,  he  would  throw  himself. 
In  the  stable,  if  you  did  not  keep  him  in  a  box  stall, 
all  you  had  to  do  was  to  turn  him  loose  in  a  tie  stall. 
If  you  tied  him  he  would  never  stop  until  he  broke 
something.  He  would  not  go  with  a  blind  bridle, 
and  if  you  had  a  whip  in  the  wagon  he  would  refuse 
to  start  until  it  was  taken  out  or  put  where  he  could 
not  see  it.  What  he  would  have  done  if  struck  is 
something  I  never  wanted  to  find  out,  and  I  drove 
him  for  over  fifteen  years.  All  you  had  to  do  was  to 
speak  to  him  and  he  was  off,  and  he  would  keep 
going  until  you  took  him  back.  Up  hill  and  down 
hill,  it  was  all  the  same  to  Champ.  He  was  as  near  a 
machine  as  flesh  and  blood  can  get,  and  for  me  just 
as  easy  to  control.  This  was  the  horse  that  caused 
the  trouble  between  the  late  Lemuel  Jenkins  and  your 
Uncle  Si. 

"There  was  some  peeking  and  craning  of  necks  the 
first  time  I  stepped  Champ  through  the  main  street  of 
the  village.  I  timed  myself  so  that  I  arrived  home 
Friday  evening,  and  on  the  following  afternoon,  when 
all  of  the  country  people  were  in  doing  their  shopping, 
I  hitched  him  to  my  light  road  wagon  and  let  him 
parade.  Champ  had  brought  all  of  his  city  airs  with 
him,  and  it  seemed  to  do  him  good  as  he  lorded  it  over 
the  farm  horses  and  workers  tied  around  the  square. 
When  I  returned  to  the  stable  there  was  a  bunch  of 


LEM   COMES   TO   THE   VILLAGE.  367 

fifty  people  to  see  him  unhitched  and  two  or  three  of 
them  wanted  to  buy,  one  of  them  being  Lem  Jenkins, 
but  I  shook  my  head  and  told  them  that  I  had  pur- 
chased Champ  for  myself  and  would  keep  him. 

"In  order  not  to  get  ahead  of  my  story  I  must  state 
that  the  fall  before  Lemuel  Jenkins  decided  that  he 
had  had  enough  of  farming.  His  father  wanted  him 
to  stay  at  home  and  help  keep  up  the  place,  but  Lem 
would  not  listen  to  it.  He  was  always  wanting  both 
his  father  and  mother  to  sell  the  farm  and  move  into 
the  village  or  go  to  Buffalo.  Both  of  them  knew 
that  the  farm  would  not  sell  for  enough  to  keep  them 
when  the  money  was  let  out  at  interest,  and  they  also 
knew  that  they  could  not  make  a  living  at  either  place 
after  the  money  was  gone.  Helen,  that  is  Lem's 
mother,  wanted  him  to  marry  their  neighbor's  daugh- 
ter, Sarah  Leroy,  and  settle  down,  but  he  was  uneasy 
and  wanted  a  change.  The  upshot  of  it  all  was  that 
Lem  came  to  the  village  and  went  to  clerking  in 
Flynn's  store.  This  Flynn  was  a  long-headed  chap 
in  his  way-  He  saw  that  Lem  could  bring  him  some 
trade,  which  was  worth  considering  when  the  busi- 
ness in  the  village  was  cut  up  between  three  of  them. 
Then  Flynn  knew  that  Lem,  with  his  prospects  when 
the  old  folks  were  gone,  would  be  a  good  catch,  and 
all  the  mothers  with  daughters  on  their  hands  would 
look  at  it  in  the  same  light.  And  so  it  proved. 

^"Lem  Jenkins,  in  his  young  days,  was  a  right 
smart  looking  lad,  and  at  a  husking,  dance,  or  church 
sociable,  there  were  only  two  or  three  in  those  parts 
who  could  hold  a  candle  to  him.  He  could  find  more 
red  ears  of  corn,  dance  longer,  and  play  more  games 
than  any  one  I  ever  heard  of,  and  when  you  pinned 


368  CHAMP. 

those  accomplishments  to  the  fact  that  he  had  an  eye 
for  a  pretty  girl  or  a  compliment  for  a  plain  one,  you 
can  form  an  idea  of  the  didoes  he  cut  up  around  here 
for  a  time.  At  all  events,  the  spring  after  he  came  to 
the  store  it  looked  every  afternoon  like  a  church  fair 
at  Flynn's.^  I  would  hear  every  few  days  that  this, 
that,  and  the  other  girl  was  eternally  running  down 
to  Flynn's  to  buy  a  paper  of  pins,  a  spool  of  thread,  a 
bottle  of  hair  oil,  or  something  like  that.  You  never 
saw  the  like  of  it.  It  seemed  as  if  all  of  them  were 
after  Lem  hot  foot,  and  he  was  as  proud  as  Lucifer. 
You  can  rest  assured  that  this  did  not  make  him  very 
popular  with  the  young  men  in  the  village,  and  they 
did  not  fail  to  show  it  whenever  an  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself.  As  I  was  too  busy  to  bother  with  such 
matters,  Lem  told  me  time  and  again  of  his  troubles 
and  triumphs.  I  advised  him  to  pull  up,  but  I  find 
that  people  do  not  like  advice  unless  it  chimes  in  with 
their  own  ideas. 

''Another  card  in  Lem's  favor  was  played  in  May 
when  his  mother  sent  him  a  top  buggy  and  a  hand- 
some brown  mare.  He  put  them  up  at  my  stable, 
and  you  can  depend  that  neither  the  horse  nor  buggy 
were  dusty  for  want  of  use.  He  was  out  every  night 
until  all  hours,  and  in  a  short  time  the  neighbors  began 
to  talk.  I  was  told  four  or  five  times  that  he  and 
one  of  the  village  girls  were  going  to  make  a  match 
of  it,  but  something  always  happened.  Since  tljen 
I  learned  that  his  mother  had  someone  watching 
him,  and  in  a  day  or  so  she  called  on  the  girl's 
mother.  This  made  Lem  as  cross  as  a  bear  with  a 
sore  paw,  but  he  was  not  sharp  enough  to  learn  who 
did  it. 


RILEY,    THE   MISER.  369 

"At  that  time  Peter  Pickle  lived  in  a  house  three 
or  four  doors  from  my  stable-  He  was  one  of  those 
easy  going  mortals  that  always  had  time  to  help  a 
neighbor,  but  no  time  to  do  a  little  work  for  himself. 
He  would  argue  for  one  hour  that  two  and  two 
would  make  five,  if  the  teacher  only  thought  so,  and 
never  told  the  scholars  different,  or  that  the  world 
was  flat,  and  if  you  came  too  near  the  edge  you 
would  drop  off  in  space.  This  was  the  kind  of  work 
he  enjoyed.  Then  if  there  was  a  fire  or  a  hurrah  of 
any  kind,  he  would  toil  from  morning  to  night  with- 
out a  whimper,  but  if  it  came  to  hoeing  a  few  pota- 
toes or  a  patch  of  corn  for  himself,  well,  he  would 
let  that  jog  on  until  to-morrow,  or  until  his  wife  or 
someone  who  knew  her  would  turn  to  and  do  it. 
Under  such  conditions  it  is  not  hard  to  guess  how 
he  stood  in  money  matters,  but  as  the  bills  were 
always  paid,  and  no  complaints  made  to  the  village, 
those  who  passed  up  the  street  smiled  as  they  saw 
Peter  sitting  day  after  day  on  a  box  in  front  of 
Flynn's  store  where  the  old  fogies,  as  they  termed 
themselves,  met  to  talk  matters  over. 

"The  women  folk,  however,  knew  that  Peter's 
wife  was  working  week  in  and  week  out  at  her  trade 
in  order  to  earn  food  for  herself  and  daughter,  as  well 
as  her  shiftless  husband.  As  for  rent,  well,  Riley. 
the  miser,  as  they  called  him,  owned  the  house  at 
the  time  and  I  have  been  told  by  those  who  went  over 
his  books  after  he  died,  that  they  found  an  entry  that 
no  rent  was  to  be  charged  for  the  place.  Mary  Rid- 
dle was  a  dressmaker  when  she  married  Peter  Pickle. 
She  told  me  herself  that  she  refused  Riley  because 
he  was  stingy  in  money  matters  as  a  young  man ; 


370  CHAMP. 

but  that  entry  convinced  me  that  he  always  had  a 
warm  place  in  his  heart  for  her  and  did  not  forget  her 
when  she  was  in  trouble. 

"When  Peter  Pickle  was  married,  he  had  a  little 
money  of  his  own.  Up  to  that  time  he  had  lived  at 
home  and  had  never  done  a-  day's  work.  After  set- 
tling down  to  housekeeping,  he  adopted  the  same  plan 
as  both  he  and  his  wife  thought  that  the  money  would 
last  forever.  With  all  going  out  and  nothing  com- 
ing in,  they  in  time,  found  they  were  mistaken. 
Then  there  was  a  spell  of  borrowing ;  after  which 
Mary,  who  was  too  proud  to  go  and  live  with  the  old 
people,  told  her  friends  that  she  was  going  to  take 
up  her  trade  again.  This  bit  of  independence  re- 
sulted in  Peter  Pickle  being  cut  off  with  a  few  dol- 
lars in  his  father's  will. 

"As  soon  as  Peter  found  that  his  wife  could  earn 
money,  he  stopped  making  an  effort  to  get  any,  and 
let  her  keep  the  house.  Mrs.  Pickle  never  said  a 
word,  but  worked  away  until  her  daughter  Mary  was 
old  enough  to  help  her.  When  I  enlisted,  Mary  was 
a  slip  of  a  girl  in  short  dresses  with  a  big  braid  of 
black  hair  hanging  down  her  back-  When  I  re- 
turned, she  was  the  belle  of  the  village.  Everyone 
called  her  'pretty  Mary  Pickle/  but  with  all  her  good 
looks,  she  worked  away  and  never  lost  her  head. 
Her  father  continued  in  the  same  old  rut,  while  the 
village  boys  with  whom  he  was  never  very  popular, 
put  in  all  of  their  spare  time  making  jingles  with  his 
name,  or  repeating  in  his  hearing  such  alliterative 
nonsense,  as  'Peter  Pickle  put  a  pig  in  Pepper's 
pound,'  or  'Peter  Pickle  picked  a  peck  of  pickled  pep- 
pers.' Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  mother  and 


MARY    PICKLE.  371 

daughter  appeared  to  be  proud  of  him,  possibly  on 
account  of  his  simple  ways  and  old  fashioned  man- 
ners. They  kept  him  well  dressed,  and  every  Sunday 
morning  both  of  them  walked  arm  in  arm  with  him 
to  service.  At  such  times,  he  donned  his  broad  cloth 
suit,  long  since  shiny  with  age,  a  high  collar  and 
black  stock.  Poor  simple  old  man,  he  has  long  since 
gone  to  his  rest.  He  was  a  shiftless  body,  but  he 
died  without  an  enemy,  which  is  something  that  few 
of  us  can  say. 

"The  week  after  I  returned  from  Buffalo  with 
Champ,  I  learned  that  Lem  was  going  with  Mary 
Pickle,  and  I  did  not  like  it.  His  mother  was  the 
first  one  that  told  me.  She  drove  into  the  stable 
bright  and  early  one  morning,  and,  taking  me  aside, 
told  me  all  of  her  troubles.  Now,  while  Helen  was 
my  sister,  we  had  never  been  very  close,  as  she  was 
married  when  I  was  a  little  tot,  and  when  I  began  to 
grow  up,  a  look  from  her  would  make  the  chills  run 
up  and  down  my  backbone.  She  told  me  how  she 
wanted  her  Lem  to  marry  the  Leroy  girl  and  with 
her  he  would  get  a  farm  as  large  as  their  own,  just 
as  soon  as  the  old  man  'turned  up  his  toes/  as  she 
put  it,  and  it  would  kill  her  if  he  threw  himself  away 
on  that  Pickle  girl.  I  could  see  she  was  worried,  and 
had  been  for  some  time,  when  without  a  whimper 
she  sat  down  and  went  on  to  tell  how  she  had  been 
heading  Lem  off  all  over  the  village. 

"That  did  not  interest  me  very  much,  but  when 
she  began  to  make  unkind  remarks  about  Mary 
Pickle,  because  she  had  to  work  for  her  living,  and 
her  father  being  'no  account/  something  inside 
prompted  me  to  take  her  part,  and  I  just  up  and  told 


372  CHAMP. 

her  that  Mary  Pickle's  little  ringer  was  worth  Lem's 
whole  carcass.  That  staggered  her.  She  was  so 
mad,  that  she  bit  her  finger  nails  and  with  a  toss  of 
head  and  a  sniff  that  made  the  horses  in  the  stalls 
jump,  she  wheeled  right  about  face  and  marched  out 
of  the  barn.  In  an  hour  or  so,  a  man  from  Riley's 
stable  came  in  with  an  order  signed  Helen  Jenkins 
for  Lemuel's  horse  and  buggy.  He  got  it.  From 
that  day,  my  sister  would  go  round  a  block  to  keep 
from  meeting,  me.  I  also  learned  that  the  same  after- 
noon, she  called  at  Mrs.  Pickles  and  forbade  Mary, 
in  the  presence  of  her  mother,  to  go  out  walking  or 
driving  with  'her  boy.'  Mrs.  Pickle  was  too  much 
of  a  lady  to  make  a  scene,  and  the  visit  came  to  an 
end  without  Mary  saying  whether  she  would  or  not. 

"When  Lem  heard  of  the  didos  that  his  mother 
had  been  cutting  up  in  the  village,  there  was  a  scene. 
I  do  not  know  what  happened  when  he  met  her,  but 
he  told  me  that  night,  he  was  going  to  marry  Mary 
Pickle,  if  she  would  have  him.  When  I  heard  him 
make  the  remark,  it  sounded  strange,  and  as  he 
walked  out  of  the  barn  whistling,  says  I  to  myself, 
'I  don't  think  you  will/ 

"That  evening  I  called  at  Mrs.  Pickle's  and  the 
next  evening  I  called  at  the  same  place.  The  fol- 
lowing evening,  I  took  Mary  Pickle  out  for  a  drive 
behind  Champ,  and  she  was  delighted  with  him. 
You  have  an  idea  what  a  moonlight  night  in  Sep- 
tember is  like.  Well,  it  was  one  of  them,  and  I 
thought  she  never  would  stop  admiring  that  horse. 
After  I  had  brushed  him  down  a  flat  piece  of  road, 
she  made  me  stop  so  she  could  get  out  and  have  a 
better  look  at  him.  Then  she  asked  me  to  go  up  the 


CHAMP   ON   PARADE.  375 

road,  and  drive  him  by  her  so  that  she  could  get  a 
better  view  of  him  when  in  motion.  Then  she  in- 
sisted that  I  should  get  out  and  let  her  drive  him. 
Champ  seemed  to  enjoy  it,  and  I  know  I  did,  but 
when  I  left  him  standing  loose  on  the  road  until  I 
climbed  over  a  fence  after  a  hat  full  of  apples,  there 
was  no  end  to  her  praises.  She  afterwards  told  me, 
that  that  drive  was  the  first  bright  spot  in  her  life, 
and  I  believe  it. 

"Next  day  it  was  all  over  the  village,  that  Lem 
had  been  cut  out  by  his  Uncle  Si,  and  do  you  know 
it  rather  pleased  me  when  I  heard  it.  After  that,  it 
was  almost  an  every  day  occurrence  for  Mary  Pickle 
and  I  to  take  a  drive.  As  she  had  to  take  work  home, 
I  met  her  frequently.  At  such  times,  I  picked  her  up. 
It  was  not  out  of  the  way,  as  she  lived  so  near  the 
stable,  and  I  thought  nothing  of  it.  Champ  also  be- 
came her  special  pet,  and  there  never  was  a  day 
when  she  did  not  give  or  send  him  a  piece  of  sugar  or 
a  sweetie.  That  pleased  me  as  Champ  was  then  the 
apple  of  my  eye. 

"Lem  never  mentioned  the  matter,  but  from  the 
way  he  acted  he  was  doing  some  thinking.  That  was 
the  long  suit  of  the  Jenkins  family.  Along  toward 
the  latter  part  of  October,  he  drove  into  the  stable, 
and,  after  passing  the  time  of  day,  said  he  wanted  to 
trade  his  mare  for  something  with  a  little  more  speed 
and  style.  I  showed  him  three  or  four  horses,  but  I 
could  see  that  they  were  not  what  he  wanted.  Finally 
he  blurted  out  'why  don't  you  show  me  the  sorrel 
horse?'  I  told  him  that  Champ  was  not  for  sale. 
That  did  not  satisfy  him.  I  could  see  he  wanted  him 
and  would  pay  the  price,  but  I  did  not  want  to  sell. 


376  CHAMP. 

Finally  I  told  him  that  I  would  not  part  with  Champ 
except  at  three  or  four  times  what  he  was  worth,  and 
then  if  I  did  let  him  have  him  he  could  not  drive  him. 

"Now,  if  there  was  anything  that  Lem  prided  him- 
self on  it  was  his  ability  to  handle  a  horse,  and,  be- 
tween you  and  me,  he  was  a  clever  horseman,  but  he 
had  never,  up  to  that  time,  met  as  peculiar  a 
piece  of  machinery  as  was  wrapped  up  in  Champ's 
hide.  I  learned  afterwards  how  Mary  Pickle  had 
told  him  what  a  lovely  horse  Champ  was,  and  how 
she  enjoyed  a  drive  behind  him,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  Lem  put  this  and  that  together  and  decided 
that  Mary  went  driving  with  Uncle  Si,  because  she 
was  in  love  with  the  horse,  and  that  he  would  have 
smooth  sailing  in  that  quarter  if  he  could  only  get 
Champ.  I  was  not  cute  enough  to  see  through  this 
spider  web,  but  I  did  know  that  Champ  suited  me 
clear  down  to  the  ground,  and  that  I  might  never  get 
another  horse  like  him. 

"Lem  hung  on  like  a  bear  at  a  root.  I  was  sick  and 
tired  listening  to  his  offers  to  trade  or  buy.  In  an 
hour  or  so  he  went  away,  and  I  thought  that  was  the 
end  of  it.  I  was  mistaken,  as  a  little  after  dinner, 
when  I  was  hitching  Champ  up  for  a  jog,  he  walked 
into  the  yard  and  said  he  would  go  out  with  me  if  I 
did  not  object.  I  could  not  very  well  say  no,  so  out 
we  went.  Then  he  started  the  same  old  story.  If 
he  told  me  once,  he  told  me  twenty  times,  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  not  to  go  home  without  Champ. 
Finally  something  tempted  me  to  lead  him  on,  and 
after  he  had  offered  $400  and  his  mare,  I  said,  just  as 
a  feeler,  'if  you  will  make  it  $600  you  can  have  him, 
but  if  he  does  not  suit  you,  I  am  to  have  the  privilege 


CHAMP   SOLD.  377 

of  buying  him  back.'  I  could  see  that  the  price  stag- 
gered him,  and  there  was  nothing  more  said  until  the 
horse  was  being  unhitched.  He  then  took  me  to  one 
side  and  said,  'Si,  I'll  give  you  the  mare  and  $600  for 
Champ  if  you  will  take  a  ninety-day  note  for  $200  of 
it.'  Situated  as  I  was  I  could  not  very  well  refuse,  as 
I  knew  the  note  would  be  good  some  day  if  he  did  not 
take  it  up  when  due,  so  he  led  Champ  away  and  sent 
me  the  mare.  He  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  get  posses- 
sion of  the  horse  that  he  never  asked  me  a  word  about 
him,  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  was  not  very  anxious 
to  tell  him. 

"About  a  month  after  the  trade  I  turned  out  one 
morning  before  daylight  to  get  a  train  to  Buffalo. 
Before  going  down  to  the  depot  I  ran  into  the  stable 
to  see  if  everything  was  O.  K.,  and  as  I  passed 
through  the  shed  there  stood  Champ  hitched  to  a 
wagon.  He  had  a  halter  on  over  the  bridle,  while 
there  was  a  foot  or  so  of  the  shank  still  hanging  to  it. 
There  was  not,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  a  scratch  on 
either  the  horse  or  wagon,  but  both  showed  that  they 
had  been  out  in  a  storm.  I  had  at  the  time  a  half  idea 
that  Lem  had  tied  Champ  somewhere  and  that  he  had 
broken  loose.  In  order  to  be  certain,  I  drove  the 
horse  over  to  Riley's  stable  and  there  found  that  a 
man  was  still  up  waiting  for  Lem  to  come  in.  He 
told  me  that  when  he  came  on  watch  he  was  told  that 
Lem  had  Champ  out  and  would  not  be  in  until  late, 
as  he  had  driven  out  to  a  dance  at  the  Four  Mile 
House.  I  left  the  horse  and  went  to  Buffalo. 

"On  my  return,  Mrs.  Pickle  told  me  that  Lem  took 
Mary  to  the  dance,  which  did  not  break  up  until  about 
two  in  the  morning.  When  they  were  ready  to  come 


378  CHAMP. 

home  the  horse  was  gone,  and  as  his  team  was  the 
only  one  from  the  village,  they  were  forced  to  either 
stay  all  night  or  walk  home  in  the  rain.  Lem  insisted 
on  remaining  where  they  were,  but  Mary  would  not 
hear  of  it.  Then  Lem  said  he  would  stay  whether 
she  did  or  not,  so  Mary  started  for  home  through  the 
rain.  She  was  a  sight  when  she  reached  home,  and 
was  so  done  up  that  she  did  not  get  out  of  bed  for  a 
week.  As  for  Lem,  he  came  in  on  a  farmer's  wagon 
next  morning,  and  when  he  learned  what  Champ  had 
done,  it  did  not  improve  matters  any.  As  soon  as 
Mary  was  up  and  about  he  called  on  her  and  tried  to 
square  himself,  but  she  would  not  see  him,  and  sent 
him  word  by  her  mother  that  she  would  never  speak 
to  him  again.  This  pleased  Helen,  so  I  have  been 
told,  but  it  made  Lem  madder  than  a  hornet,  while 
the  whole  village  had  a  good  laugh  over  it. 

"I  never  said  anything,  but  every  few  days  I 
heard  that  Lem  was  saying  I  had  bested  him  in  the 
trade ;  that  I  should  have  told  him  Champ  would  not 
stand  when  hitched,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  When 
the  note  was  due,  he  refused  to  pay  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  -told  the  cashier  of  the  bank  that  he  never 
would  pay  it  unless  I  went  to  law.  This  stuck  in  my 
crop,  but  I  grinned  and  bore  it,  while  all  of  the  time 
I  missed  Champ  more  than  I  cared  to  tell.  I  was 
just  aching  to  have  a  drive  behind  him,  while  from 
the  day  Champ  went  away  Mary  Pickle  stopped  send- 
ing or  bringing  over  a  piece  of  sugar  or  a  sweetie. 
For  a  time  I  did  not  miss  that,  but  it  began  to  wear 
on  me  and  I  felt  uncomfortable.  Then  I  noticed  that 
I  did  not  meet  Mary  on  the  street  as  often  as  when  I 
had  Champ,  and  when  I  did  meet  her  she  usually  had 


THE   MEETING.  379 

an  errand  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  which  I 
was  going.  To  be  plain,  before  I  sold  Champ  I 
thought  that  Mary  was  taking  a  shine  to  me ;  but  after 
the  horse  disappeared  I  found  that  all  of  her  favors 
were  for  him,  and  not  his  owner. 

''That  spring  it  seemed  as  if  everything  about  the 
place  was  going  at  sixes  and  sevens.  Lem  greeted 
me  with  a  distant  nod  when  we  met,  which  was  very 
seldom,  and  finally,  even  old  Peter  Pickle  failed  to 
come  near  the  stable  to  loaf  for  an  hour  or  two.  It 
looked  to  me  so  much  like  a  case  of  freeze  out  that  I 
became  disgusted,  and  had  just  about  made  up  my 
mind  to  sell  out  and  emigrate,  when  one  afternoon  I 
met  Lem  with  Champ  hooked  to  a  top  wagon  on  the 
side  road  near  the  gravel  pit.  I  stopped  and  signalled 
for  him  to  do  so.  As  I  did  so  he  took  his  horse  over 
to  the  left  hand  side  of  the  road  and  pulled  up  with 
the  seat  of  his  wagon  opposite  my  dashboard,  and  so 
close  that  the  hubs  almost  touched.  Had  he  been 
driving  any  other  horse  than  Champ  it  would  have 
given  me  a  chill  to  see  him  sitting  there  with  only  a 
foot  or  so  of  turf  between  him  and  the  edge  of  a 
steep  bank. 

"As  he  tipped  the  top  of  his  wagon  back,  Lem 
asked  me  what  I  wanted,  saying  it  in  a  manner  that 
was  anything  but  encouraging.  I  told  him  what  had 
been  said  about  the  trade  and  that  the  remarks  had 
been  traced  to  him,  and  also  reminded  him  that  when 
we  traded  it  was  on  his  proposition,  not  mine,  as  I 
did  not  want  to  let  Champ  go.  I  could  feel  myself 
getting  a  little  warm  as  I  talked,  for  it  was  an  aggra- 
vation to  have  him  sit  there  and  never  say  a  word, 
while  Champ  would  keep  turning  his  head  to  look  at 


380  CHAMP. 

me.  Finally  I  told  him  that  if  he  wanted  to  plead  the 
'baby  act'  I  would  then  and  there  trade  back. 

"As  I  said  this  I  could  see  a  flush  creep  over  his 
face,  while  a  wicked  look  came  into  his  eye.  Then, 
when  I  asked  him  why  he  had  not  acted  like  a  man 
and  taken  up  the  note,  he  grabbed  the  whalebone 
whip  out  of  my  buggy  and  raised  it  over  his  head  as 
though  he  were  going  to  strike  me.  Champ  also  saw 
it  and,  I  suppose,  thinking  the  blow  was  intended  for 
him,  wheeled  like  a  flash  and  upset  the  wagon.  As 
it  went  over  the  bank  the  king  bolt  snapped  and 
Champ  started  for  the  village  on  a  gallop  with  the 
front  wheels  behind  him  and  the  reins  flying. 

"It  was  all  over  in  an  instant,  and  before  I  could 
get  my  wits  together,  Champ  had  whisked  around  the 
corner  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  while  the  balance  of  the 
wagon  was  lying  bottom  side  up  about  half  way  down 
the  bank.  As  I  looked  at  it,  I  felt  like  following  the 
horse  and  leaving  Lem  to  get  out  of  it  the  best  way  he 
could.  I  spoke  to  my  horse  and  was  moving  off  when 
the  thought  of  him  being  dead  flashed  through  my 
brain.  With  it  came  the  dread  that  people  would 
say  I  killed  him.  The  mere  idea  made  my  blood  run 
cold,  as  in  its  wake  came  such  details  as  an  inquest,  a 
jury  trial  and  possibly  worse. 

"Nature  finally  got  the  better  of  my  anger,  and 
after  tying  my  horse  to  the  fence  I  tipped  Lem's 
wagon  over  and  laid  him  on  the  grass.  He  was  in- 
sensible, dead  for  all  I  knew,  while  I  could  see  a  cut 
on  the  side  of  his  head,  and  that  his  right  arm  seemed 
loose,  as  though  it  were  broken.  What  to  do  I  did 
not  know.  There  is  a  little  spring  near  the  place,  and 
getting  some  water  in  my  hat  I  bathed  his  face  with 


CHAMP   REPURCHASED.  381 

it.  About  all  the  good  it  did,  so  far  as  I  could  see, 
was  to  wash  away  the  blood.  There  was  not  at  that 
time  a  house  within  a  mile  of  the  place,  and  I  was 
afraid  to  go  for  someone  and  leave  him  by  the  side  of 
the  road. 

"Just  when  I  was  at  my  wits'  end  who  should  walk 
over  the  hill  but  old  Peter  Pick4e.  He  took  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance,  and  without  asking  any  ques- 
tions, told  me  to  drive  to  the  village  for  the  doctor.  I 
was  off  before  he  had  finished  the  sentence.  You 
can  guess  the  balance  of  the  details.  Lem  was  taken 
home  in  a  wagon  box  half  full  of  hay.  When  he  came 
to,  it  was  found  that  the  arm  he  was  going  to  strike 
me  with  was  broken  above  the  elbow.  The  cut  was 
not  very  serious;  but  he  was  so  badly  bruised  that  it 
was  three  months  before  he  was  about. 

"On  the  night  of  the  accident  I  found  that  Champ 
stopped  at  my  stable.  He  was  in  his  old  stall  when 
I  drove  in.  Three  weeks  rolled  by  and  no  one  called 
for  him.  On  the  third  Saturday  Sarah  Leroy  called. 
I  could  see  that  she  was  rather  pale  as  she  asked  for 
me.  When  I  came  up  she  handed  me  a  letter  from 
Lem.  I  opened  it,  and  on  reading  it,  saw  that  it  was 
written  by  a  woman.  When  I  asked  who  wrote  it, 
she  said  she  did,  as  she  was  helping  Mrs.  Jenkins  take 
care  of  Lem.  In  the  letter  Lem  said  that  if  I  gave 
Sarah  the  note  and  sent  him  his  mare  I  could  keep 
Champ  and  he  would  never  mention  the  subject  to 
me  again.  I  accepted  the  offer,  and  he  never  did 
mention  that  or  any  other,  as  we  never  spoke  to  each 
other  from  the  day  we  met  on  the  hill.  From  that 
time  on  he  hated  me,  not  so  much  on  account  of  the 
affair  on  the  hill,  but  what  happened  a  few  days  later. 


382  CHAMP. 

"On  the  evening  that  Champ  was  again  my 
property  I  hitched  him  to  the  best  wagon  in  the  shed 
and  invited  Mary  Pickle  to  go  for  a  drive.  She 
jumped  at  the  chance,  and  as  we  stepped  down  the 
road  she  told  me  time  and  again  that  she  would  like 
nothing  better  than  to  go  on  driving  behind  Champ 
forever.  • 

"  'Then  why  not?'  said  I. 

"  'Of  course/  said  she,  and  a  roguish  twinkle  came 
into  her  eye  when  she  twisted  her  head  to  look  at  me. 

'  'I  suppose  you  would  want  to  hold  the  reins/ 
said  I,  as  I  took  a  good  look  at  her  out  of  the  corner 
of  my  eye. 

"  'Under  no  other  conditions  would  I  go/  said  she, 
as  she  looked  off  over  the  fields. 

"  'Then  marry  me/  said  I,  'and  you  can  have  the 
horse/ 

'  'I  will  do  it/  said  she,  just  as  free  and  easy  like 
as  if  she  were  speaking  a  piece  in  school,  but  there 
was  a  hug  and  a  kiss  that  went  with  it  to  bind  the 
bargain. 

"We  were  engaged  before  we  returned  and  mar- 
ried in  a  week.  That  was  speed  for  you,  but  Champ 
did  it.  As  you  know,  Lemuel  Jenkins  married  Sarah 
Leroy  and  now  his  son  and  my  daughter  are  man  and 
wife.  Our  little  war  is  over,  but  of  all  that  were  here, 
I  am  the  only  one  left  to  tell  about  it." 


FICKLE  GAMEY. 


Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells, — 

Silver  bells! 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells! 

-Poe. 

Yes,  I'm  a  tout.  What  of  it?  You  don't  have  to 
look  at  my  teeth  to  learn  that.  My  harness,  my  shoes 
and  my  tile  tell  the  tale.  Perhaps  they  have  seen 
better  days.  So  have  I,  but,  as  they  say  in  the  ring, 
I  am  down  on  my  luck.  Made  good  money  up  the 
line,  got  gay,  went  up  like  a  rocket  and  came  down 
like  a  stick.  Trifle  seamy!  Well,  rather;  but 
good  things  will  come  again.  Am  on  to  one  for 
to-day,  and  for  a  fifty  spot  you  can  be  in  with  it. 
Furnish  the  long  green  and  I  will  gather  the  tickets 
and  split  what  we  win.  Are  you  on?  Did  you 
shake  your  head?  Well,  I  never!  Ten,  did  you 
say?  That  will  help  at  times,  but  not  for  this  one. 
It  is  too  good  for  a  nibble.  A  tenner  will  do  for  a 
heat,  but  when  you  find  a  forty  to  one  shot,  hit  it- 
See !  Hit  it  hard.  Let  them  know  you  are  on  earth 
and  stepping  through  the  deep  footing.  Get  busy; 
dip  deep  in  the  roll,  so  you  will  know  you  are  playing. 
Lose  a  little,  or  win  a  strip  of  Broadway.  Do  you 
bite?  What,  did  you  shake  your  head  again?  Well, 
there  are  others.  Oh;  I  thought  you  would  thaw. 
Twenty-five,  did  you  say?  No  nonsense.  Peel  a 
hundred  off  your  roll,  and  when  they  cash  in  to-night 
you  will  have  something.  I'm  on !  Jump  in  the 
band  wagon  and  let  them  play.  It  will  give  both  of 


384  FICKLE   GAMEY. 

us  a  lift.  Will  you  step  ?  Ah ;  that's  proper.  Fifty, 
it  is — good  enough.  It  will  be  put  where  it  will  do 
the  most  good  when  they  open. 

Was  I  ever  there,  did  you  say?  Well,  I  should 
remark,  that  is  a  proper  question  for  a  gentleman 
who  has  made  paths  between  race  tracks  for  a  bunch 
of  years.  In  my  whirl  I  have  seen  both  sides  of  the 
card,  played  black  and  red,  won  on  star  green,  been 
flushed  with  birds,  and  chased  to  cover  by  the 
Pinkies;  and  for  what — to  live  without  working.  By 
my  wits,  did  you  say?  Who  told  you?  Ha!  ha!  It 
was  Gamey  tipped  you  the  wink.  Gamey  of  all  the 
world.  He  lived  before  they  were  off  at  the  Gut. 
Snowballs  in  plenty  in  those  days — ey,  Gamey!  But 
for  once  I  will  chirp.  Not  in  my  line,  but  as  Gamey 
has  tipped  me  off,  here  goes. 

In  the  old  days  when  Harlem  was  further  from 
New  York  than  it  is  now,  the  transportation  being 
slower,  Gamey,  the  bird  on  the  stick,  hopped  out 
among  the  goats  to  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth 
Street.  He  was  swagger,  you  had  better  believe, 
with  his  fedora  and  cigar  at  an  angle  of  forty-five,  like 
a  well-shod  trotter,  and  as  he  paraded  down  Lexing- 
ton Avenue,  what  did  he  do  but  run  full  tilt  into  the 
arms  of  a  maiden  sister  to  a  sporty  butcher  in  Har- 
lem. Like  a  bit  of  trading  stock,  her  age  was  uncer- 
tain, but  she  wanted  a  man,  and  Gamey  being  a  bird 
in  the  hand  was  worth  two  in  the  bush.  Before  you 
could  prance  around  a  block,  the  pair  were  thicker 
than  thieves  in  Mott  Street,  and  nothing  would  do 
but  that  Gamey  would  hop  home  with  her  for  tea. 
Would  he  go?  Well,  when  any  of  the  craft  steps  by 
a  feed,  let  me  know  it.  They  had  buns,  beer  and 


IN   HARLEM.  385 

bologna  and  what  not,  and  by  the  time  for  bedding 
down  Gamey  was  ticketed  for  the  spare  room  in  the 
flat.  No  one  could  expect  a  gentleman  of  leisure  to 
boom  home  in  a  horse  car  from  Harlem  at  one  in  the 
morning.  It  was  bad  morals.  Gamey  struck  it  rich 
and  did  not  know  it.  But  when  were  we  wise? 

Off  and  on  until  the  snow  came,  the  amiable  card 
kept  popping  up  in  Harlem,  and  then  for  the  finish. 
The  maiden  lady's  brother  had  a  trotter  which  he  had 
no  time  to  drive,  and  as  for  Gamey  he  could  do  that 
to  perfection.  Had  he  not  acted  as  an  understudy 
for  Mace,  Murphy  and  all  that  ilk?  Well,  I  should 
remark !  Out  he  went  one  fair  afternoon  with  the 
lady  in  the  robes,  and  when  bed  time  came  they  had 
not  returned.  But  of  that — well,  do  you  want  to  hear 
the  balance? 

Go  on,  did  you  say?  Well,  see  me  step!  The 
pair  cut  a  splurge  up  Seventh  Avenue  to  McCombs' 
Dam  bridge,  and  tarried  for  a  little  air  and  refresh- 
ments at  Gabe  Case's  old  place  on  Jerome  Avenue. 
Wheeling-  into  the  yard  with  a  jingling  of  bells  and 
the  flourish  of  a  Wall  Street  blood  who  had  made  his 
first  strike,  Gamey  flung  the  reins  to  the  head  boy 
and  flounced  the  lady  into  the  back  parlor.  "A  small 
bottle,"  says  Gamey.  Just  think  of  it.  I  suppose 
in  the  excitement  he  forgot  the  warm  bird;  but  no 
matter.  Up  came  the  fizz,  and  the  tears  popped  into 
the  maiden  lady's  eyes  when  she  sipped  it.  They 
sparkled  like  the"  bubbles  in  the  glass.  Reckon  she 
thought  she  had  hooked  on  to  an  abbreviated  million- 
aire in  disguise.  And  there  was  Gamey.  The  way 
he  put  on  airs,  the  waiter  told  me,  was  enough  to 
crack  the  pictures  on  the  wall.  With  a  cigar  as  long 


386  FICKLE   GAMEY. 

as  a  scraper  in  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  he  told  the 
maiden  lady  of  this  and  that  on  racing  until  she  could 
feel  the  ponies  tramping  on  her  hair.  After  another 
small  bottle,  that  was  the  limit,  and  with  a  wink  to 
charge  it  to  Murph — the  gall  of  the  beast — the  pair 
stamped  out  on  the  stoop  and  called  for  the  horse. 
He  came  out  prancing,  and  the  way  Gamey  trounced 
the  lah  da  dah  speed  owners  up  and  down  the  avenue 
that  afternoon  was  a  revelation  to  dogs  and  little 
fishes.  His  old  "hicar"  could  be  heard  from  Judge 
Smith's  around  the  bend  and  by  the  glass  front  stoop 
at  Case's,  where  Murphy  and  the  rest  of  them  were 
thawing  out  with  hot  toddies  and  cracking  their 
sides  laughing  at  Gamey's  gall  in  charging  two  small 
bottles  to  Murphy's  account.  Murphy  never  winked 
an  eye.  He  knew  that  he  would  catch  up  with  the 
old  peg  later. 

After  trimming  everything  he  tackled,  Gamey 
pulled  up  at  Judge  Smith's  and  ordered  his  horse 
cooled  out  and  fed.  He  was  making  a  splurge,  as 
the  maiden  lady  told  him  she  had  two  tenners 
knotted  in  the  corner  of  her  pocket  handker- 
chief, and  on  the  strength  of  it  he  ordered  a 
supper  that  would  bring  up  all  standing.  The 
likes  of  him  had  not  been  seen  on  the  road  for 
a  few  days,  and  Gamey  was  out  to  win-  After  the 
'steenth,  "here's  looking  at  you,"  with  the  boys  in 
the  cafe,  while  the  lady  was  up  stairs  brushing  up 
for  the  banquet,  one  of  the  rakiest  lads  in  the  bunch 
stumped  Gamey  for  a  trade.  It  was  the  first  nibble, 
and  it  went  into  the  sawdust  with  the  drinks  Gamey 
had  not  swallowed.  Oh,  but  he  was  a  smooth  one ! 
After  another  bite  that  looked  as  though  he  had  taken 


STlLIv    WAITING.  387 

the  hook,  the  pair  stumped  out  to  the  shed  and  looked 
at  the  goods.  The  blood  offered  two  hundred  and 
his  nag.  Gamey  wanted  four,  but  after  a  haggle  and 
a  hitch,  took  three  and  a  check  for  the  dinner. 

How  much  was  it?  Oh,  go  away.  How  do  I 
know,  I  did  not  see  it.  In  the  middle  of  the  night 
Gamey  and  the  maiden  lady  rode  home  over  the  snow 
by  moonlight.  They  had  a  new  horse,  but  she  did 
not  notice  it,  and  Gamey  was  so  busy  with  other 
matters  that  he  did  not  peep.  Gamey  did  not  go  in 
when  they  stopped  at  the  home  plate.  Like  a  good 
boy  he  jogged  the  horse  around  to  the  shed,  tied  him 
under  it,  put  all  the  blankets  on  to  keep  him  warm, 
and  left  Harlem  forever. 

Hold  up  your  palm  to  him.  He  is  the  pick  of  the 
basket.  And  now  make  it  a  hundred;  three  figures 
always  make  a  good  play.  There,  I  knew  you  would. 
So  long.  Will  see  you  to-night  if  the  good  thing  con- 
nects. What  is  it,  did  you  say?  Waiting.  As  the 
embryo  plunger  looked  at  his  score  card,  the  tout 
disappeared  in  the  crowd-  Waiting  was  drawn. 


TOM. 


This  happened  in  the  good  old  days, 

Before  Budd  Doble  came 
To  Yankee  land,  with  Goldsmith  Maid, 

And  his  "catarrhal  name." 

Uncle  Si  always  remarked  that  a  balky  horse  was 
annoying,  and  there  are  still  a  few  people  in  the  world 
who  will  believe  him.  I  at  one  time  had  one  that  was 
just  the  reverse  and  one  that  I  shall  remember  as  long 
as  I  live.  In  the  spring  of  186-  I  drove  a  medicine 
wagon  out  of  Springfield,  my  orders  being  to  go  west 
and  keep  going  until  I  reached  Detroit  or  thereabouts. 
I  had  a  wagon  full  of  medicine  that  would  cure  any- 
thing from  a  cold  to  hydrophobia,  a  fine  set  of  harness 
and  a  rather  shabby  pair  of  horses.  They  had  been 
over  the  road  many  a  time,  and  I  told  the  boss,  when 
I  climbed  over  the  wheel,  both  of  them  needed  trad- 
ing. He  did  not  object  to  matters  of  that  kind  so 
long  as  the  wagon  could  keep  on  the  move  and  a  man 
came  home  with  as  good  a  pair  as  he  went  out  with, 
which  would  be  a  very  difficult  matter  unless  he  came 
back  on  the  cars.  I  never  heard  of  any  of  the  drivers 
rendering  an  account  for  boot  except  when  they 
traded  in  medicine,  and  by  keeping  awake  a  man  with 
an  eye  for  a  horse  could  occasionally  make  a  dollar. 
As  spring  slipped  into  summer,  my  wagon  rolled  over 
the  Berkshire  hills,  across  New  York  State,  and  the 
strip  of  Pennsylvania  on  which  Erie  is  located,  into 
Ohio.  I  do  not  remember  now  how  many  times  I 
traded  horses  or  swapped  one  for  two,  tieing  the  odd 


FINDING   HIS   IDKAI,.  389 

one  to  the  end  of  the  wagon  until  I  found  a  purchaser. 
But  that  is  not  here  or  there,  as  it  is  not  a  part  of  this 
story. 

In  due  time  I  reached  Toledo,  and,  as  the  roads 
further  west  were  deep,  I  decided  to  turn  back  from 
that  point  and  make  for  New  England.  I  then  had  a 
gray  and  a  black,  both  good  horses  for  the  road,  but 
only  ordinary  every  day  horses.  There  was  not 
much  wrong  with  either  of  them  and  what  it  was,  it 
would  take  a  better  man  than  me  to  find  out.  Now, 
while  I  do  not  wish  to  interrupt  this  tale,  I  wish  to 
say  on  the  side,  as  the  actors  do  on  the  stage,  that 
every  horse  trader,  at  least  all  that  I  have  met  and 
known,  has  away  down  in  his  heart  the  idea  of  a 
horse  he  would  like  to  own  and  retire  satisfied  that 
he  had  the  best  to  be  found.  With  some  it  is  a  chest- 
nut with  four  white  feet  and  a  flaxen  mane  and  tail, 
and  with  others  a  gray  with  almost  sense  enough  to 
talk.  I  also  had  up  to  that  time  an  idea  of  the  horse 
I  wanted,  but  to  save  my  life  I  could  not  describe  him. 
It  was,  however,  something  that  I  had  never  seen, 
or,  at  least,  examined  close  enough  to  feel  that  I 
wanted  to  own  it.  Like  many  another  man,  I  found 
my  horse  in  Toledo.  He  crossed  my  path  on  a  Sun- 
day morning  as  I  was  sitting  in  front  of  the  stable 
where  I  had  put  up,  and  just  after  I  had  cleaned  up 
everything  so  as  to^be  ready  to  start  east  the  follow- 
ing morning  before  the  sun  was  high  enough  to  take 
the  starch  out  of  a  collar,  as  it  is  powerful  warm  in 
Northern  Ohio  about  the  first  of  September-  On 
looking  down  the  street,  I  saw  a  boy  coming  towards 
me  leading  a  bay  gelding  with  a  diamond-shaped 
spot  on  his  forehead.  There  was  nothing  remarkable 


390  TOM. 

in  this,  but  as  that  horse  came  up  the  street  he  seemed 
to  grow  upon  my  mind  and  fill  my  eye  until  I  could 
see  nothing  else.  Something  seemed  to  say  within 
me  "there  is  your  horse,"  and  to  be  candid  with  you 
he  was  a  tidy  looking  one. 

When  L  shut  my  eyes  I  can  see  him  now  as  he 
stood  there  that  morning,  a  bright  bay  with  black 
legs,  short  back  and  a  shoulder,  while  a  trifle  straight 
for  fast  work,  but  just  right  to  fit  into  a  collar  for  a 
long  and  a  strong  pull,  an  eye  that  said  plainer  than 
words  could  tell,  "you  cannot  conquer  me,"  and  an  ear 
that  played  about  as  if  he  were  still  looking  for  the 
chickadees  to  sing  to  him.  My,  how  I  wanted  that 
horse,  with  his  clean  flat  legs,  round  hoofs,  and  short 
neck  with  just  a  little  bit  of  an  arch  to  it. 

He  looked  like  gold  standing  there  with  his  legs 
well  under  him,  just  like  a  big  buck  in  the  woods  gett- 
ing ready  to  jump  over  a  wind  fall.  To  make  a  long 
story  short,  I  traded  for  him,  giving  my  gray  horse 
and  $100  in  money.  I  would  have  given  $150  just  as 
quick,  as  I  had  the  money  and  the  fit  was  on  me,  but, 
instead  of  holding  off,  took  the  first  offer  made  for 
fear  J  would  not  get  him.  I  think  now  in  my  heart 
that  the  owner  of  the  horse  felt  sorry  for  me,  but  he 
could  not  make  me  believe  it,  as  there  was  something 
in  that  horse's  make-up  or  action  which  drew  me  to 
him,  just  as  some  men  say  a  snake  can  charm  a  bird, 
although  I  have  never  seen  it  done.  After  I  had  traded 
and  had  paid  my  money,  the  man  I  traded  with  took 
me  aside  and  said,  "Now,  stranger,  the  bay  horse  is 
yours.  His  name  is  Tom.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
you  to  tell  every  one  what  you  gave  for  him  or  what 
you  are  going  to  do  with  him,  but  if  you  are  going 


HIS   ONLY   FAULT.  393 

away  from  Toledo,  let  me  advise  you  to  never  carry  a 
whip  in  the  socket  or  strike  him  with  one." 

Naturally  I  asked  him  why  he  made  such  a  re- 
mark, as  he  had  assured  me  that  the  horse  was  true 
and  kind  in  harness. 

"Do  you  want  to  know?"  said  he. 

"I  certainly  do/'  said  I. 

"Well,  then,  stranger,  if  you  want  to  know,  and 
you  do  not  care  to  ask  any  one  in  Toledo,  I  will  tell 
you  confidentially ;  If  you  hit  him  he'll  balk  and  stay 
in  his  tracks  from  sun  rise  to  sunset,"  and  with  that 
he  left  me. 

Now  that  was  a  nice  state  of  affairs,  but  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  keep  Tom  whether  he  balked  or  not, 
and  started  east  with  him  on  the  off  side,  while  my 
whip  with  the  lash  rolled  round  the  stalk  was  strap- 
ped on  the  top  of  the  wagon  where  I  could  not  get  it 
if  I  wanted  to. 

As  I  drove  over  the  roads  near  the  southern  shore 
of  Lake  Erie  through  Oak  Harbor,  Sandusky,  and 
the  other  towns,  I  did  a  very  fair  business  for  Sep- 
tember and  exchanged  the  nigh  horse  of  my  team 
several  times,  but  no  one  could  show  me  a  horse  or  a 
pair  of  horses  that  I  would  think  of  taking  in  trade 
for  Tom.  He  and  I  took  to  each  other  and  the  longer 
I  had  him,  the  better  I  liked  him-  From  morning 
until  night  he  was  right  up  on  the  bit  and  became  so 
free  that  I  believe  he  pulled  about  all  of  the  load,  as 
in  those  days  I  always  saw  to  it  that  there  was  a 
strong  pair  of  straps  from  the  double  whifHetree  to 
the  axle  and  equally  strong  straps  on  the  neck  yoke. 
No  poles  falling  down  or  saw  toothed  pairs  would 
satisfy  me  when  driving  a  wagon  on  the  road. 


394  TOM. 

I  reached  a  town  called  Elyria  on  a  Saturday 
morning.  It  was  well  along  in  September,  and,  as  I 
drove  by  the  square  in  the  center  of  the  place,  I  saw 
fifteen  or  twenty  teams  hitched  to  posts  and  rails 
running  round  it.  One  horse  in  particular  attracted 
my  attention,  it  being  a  harum  scarum  looking  chest- 
nut mare  with  a  white  splash  on  her  face  and  three 
or  four  white  legs.  Her  owner  had  just  driven  up 
with  her  and,  from  the  trouble  he  was  having  in  hitch- 
ing her  and  making  her  stand,  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  he  was  not  very  anxious  to  continue  as  her 
owner-  She  also  looked  to  me  like  one  that  would 
stand  training  on  the  road,  so  I  drove  over  near  him 
and  asked  him  how  he  would  like  to  trade  for  the 
nigh  horse  of  my  team.  The  nigh  horse  was  a  very 
good  one,  but  rather  dull  and  what  would  be  called 
in  the  trade  so-so.  The  farmer  jumped  at  the  chance 
as  I  supposed  he  would,  and,  after  looking  my  horse, 
as  I  thought,  inside  and  out  and  asking  all  kinds  of 
questions  about  his  steadiness,  and  if  he  had  ever 
run  away,  said  he  would  trade  even.  I  did  not  think 
he  would,  but  at  all  events  when  I  drove  out  of  town 
that  afternoon  I  had  the  chestnut  mare  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  of  the  Lorain  County  farmer's  money  in 
my  inside  pocket. 

I  reckon  that  few  people  in  Elyria  ever  saw  such 
a  pair  of  horses  step  out  of  town  to  a  medicine  wagon, 
and  some  of  the  old  people  there  may  remember  them 
to  this  day.  There  had  been  a  light  shower  during 
the  morning.  It  laid  the  dust,  cleared  the  air,  and 
made  a  horse  feel  like  going.  Being  of  the  opinion 
that  the  white-faced  mare  would  require  a  little  more 
attention  than  Tom,  I  changed  him  over  to  the  nigh 


THEY'RE  OFF  395 

side  and  he  seemed  to  like  it.  From  the  way  he  step- 
ped out  of  the  stable  yard  around  the  corner  and 
down  the  main  street,  I  began  to  think  he  was  a  cir- 
cus horse,  while  the  mare  acted  as  light  and  jaunty 
as  a  feather  on  your  hat.  In  this  way  we  started  for 
Cleveland,  and  at  a  clip  which  I  knew  would  whirl 
me  east  in  short  order. 

I  did  not  know  then,  but  I  have  learned  it  since, 
that  this  chestnut  mare  was  a  noted  runaway  in  those 
parts  and  had  been  in  scrapes  without  number.  I 
could  never  learn  how  many  wagons  she  had  wrecked 
or  how  many  owners  she  had  had,  but  that  is  not  here 
or  there,  as  I  tamed  her. 

The  road  from  Elyria  to  Cleveland  is  a  very  good 
one,  being  well  gravelled  and  on  high  land.  As  Tom 
was  in  grand  road  shape,  and  the  mare  acted  very 
free,  I  let  them  move  along  just  enough,  as  it  were, 
to  take  the  wire  edge  off.  After  going  five  or  six 
miles,  I  slowed  them  up  a  little,  as  both  of  them  were 
taking  hold  of  the  bit  hard,  and  let  them  cool  off. 
From  that  time  until  I  was  within  seven  or  eight 
miles  of  Cleveland,  I  did  not  have  much  bother. 

In  some  way  my  whip,  which  had  been  strapped 
to  the  top  of  the  wagon,  worked  loose  at  one  end 
and  made  a  slapping  noise,  something  like  a  sliver 
will  on  a  rail  fence  on  a  windy  day,  but  a  little  louder. 
The  mare  did  not  like  it  and,  as  she  looked  around 
at  me,  I  could  see  the  white  of  her  eye.  As  she  began 
to  fish  for  the  bit  or  take  hold  of  the  iron,  as  the 
drivers  say,  I  could  not  stop  and  fix  it.  Then 
the  thought  flashed  through  my  head  that  if  Tom 
saw  the  whip  he  might  forget  all  I  had  taught  him. 
What  to  do  I  did  not  know.  Just  then  the  mare  be- 


396  TOM. 

gan  to  switch  her  tail  and  twitch  her  head  from  one 
side  to  the  other  and  all  the  time  feeling  for  the  bit, 
as  it  were,  and  started  to  run.  I  could  see  the  road 
ahead  of  me,  dead  level  for  over  a  mile,  so  thinks  I, 
I'll  let  you  have  it  out  as  a  runaway  horse,  like  a 
woman,  will  have  her  way.  As  soon  as  I  let  go  of  her 
Tom  started  and  it  was  nip  and  tuck  as  to  which 
could  run  the  the  faster. 

The  wagon  was  a  strong  one,  having  been  built 
for  heavy  work,  but  I  could  feel  it  swaying  as  they 
bounded  forward.  I  did  not  care  as  I  made  up  my 
mind  that  I  could  ride  as  fast  as  they  could  run  and, 
if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst,  I  could  still  jump  and 
let  them  have  it  out  between  themselves.  That, 
however,  is  the  last  thing  that  a  driver  should  do,  as 
I  have  always  maintained  in  good  and  bad  weather 
he  should,  like  a  pilot,  stay  with  the  rig. 

As  the  pair  raced  head  and  head,  I  had  time  to  look 
about  me  and  found  that  the  road  was  on  a  high  ridge 
with  a  big  valley  on  the  right  hand  side.  Through 
this  I  could  see  a  small  stream,  so  I  knew  there  was  a 
bridge  ahead,  but  where  was  it  and  how  was  I  ever 
going  to  get  down  to  it.  To  be  on  a  level  with  the 
road  a  bridge  would  have  to  be  over  two  hundred 
feet  highland  it  looked  like  suicide  to  think  of  racing 
over  it  at  the  clip  I  was  going.  As  this  flashed 
through  my  mind,  and  I  can  assure  you  it  only  took 
a  fraction  of  a  second  for  it  to  come  and  go,  I  looked 
ahead.  The  road  made  a  slight  bend  to  the  right,  and 
after  a  sharp  dip  disappeared.  That  meant  a  corner 
on  the  edge  of  a  ravine,  and  how  was  I  going  to  make 
it  behind  a  pair  of  runaways? 


THE  LAST   CHANCE.  399 

Men  tell  that  when  drowning  your  whole  life  pas- 
ses before  you,  as  it  were,  in  review  and  I  believe  it. 
In  the  span  of  a  few  seconds  all  that  I  had  ever  done 
or  said  seemed  to  come  and  go,  these  thoughts  being 
as  it  were,  a  vivid  background  of  what  was  going  on 
around  me.  I  was  sure  I  was  going  to  my  death,  as 
it  would  not  require  much  of  a  bend  in  the  road  to 
send  me  with  the  wagon  and  horses  rolling  down 
among  the  rocks,  stumps  and  logs,  into  the  water. 

As  the  wagon  began  to  make  the  dip  in  the  road, 
it  flashed  on  me  to  jump  and  let  the  pair  get  out  of  it 
the  best  way  they  could.  As  I  raised  in  the  seat  the 
wagon  lurched  and  tilted  me  back-  I  threw  out  my 
left  hand  to  save  myself  from  falling  between  the 
wheels.  It  struck  near  a  small  guard  rail  which  ran 
around  the  top  of  it  and,  striking  the  whip,  broke  it 
loose.  As  the  whipstock  rolled  under  my  hand,  I 
grabbed  it,  and  with  the  familiar  feel  of  it  came  the 
thought  "would  I  strike  Tom."  If  he  failed  me  I 
could  still  jump.  Swinging  around  I  made  another 
pull  on  the  reins  but  it  was  no  use,  my  arms  were 
numb.  At  last  in  desperation,  setting  the  brake  with 
my  foot,  I  raised  the  whip  in  my  left  hand  and  gave 
it  a  whirl  around  my  head  in  order  to  get  the  lash  free. 
I  could  hear  the  lash  hiss  and  saw  it  knit  into  Tom's 
hide  as  it  fell  like  a  white  band  from  the  point  of  the 
shoulder  to  his  quarters,  then  all  was  a  blank. 

The  balance  of  the  story  was  told  to  me  a  few 
days  later  as  I  lay  on  a  cot  in  a  little  brown  house 
under  the  hill  and  near  the  bank  of  the  stream  which 
I  learned  was  called  Rocky  River.  The  man  who 
related  it  was  going,  towards  Cleveland  when  he  saw 
my  team  coming  at  runaway  speed.  In  order  to  be 


400  TOM. 

out  of  harm's  way,  he  ran  up  the  bank  and  from  the 
crest  of  the  hill  saw  what  happened  at  the  bend  of 
the  road.  When  he  saw  me  put  on  the  brake  and 
strike  Tom  he  said  that  he  was  sure  I  was  a  madman, 
and  he  could  not  understand  it  until  I  told  him  of  the 
trade  in  Toledo. 

He  said  that  when  I  struck  the  horse  he  made  an 
effort  to  brace  himself  and  stop.  With  his  haunches 
well  under  him  he  slid  to  the  bend  of  the  turn,  the 
mare  all  of  the  while  doing  her  utmost  to  pull  him 
along.  Her  struggles  swung  Tom  around,  and  as 
the  wagon  followed  them,  it  tipped  over.  The  mare 
was  thrown,  while  Tom  was  flung  clear  and  clean 
over  the  top  of  her.  When  he  struck,  his  back  was 
broken,  and  death  soon  put  him  out  of  misery.  He 
was  buried  under  a  big  maple  tree  near  the  brow  of 
the  hill-  The  mare  escaped  with  a  few  scratches,  but 
the  wagon  and  harness  presented  a  very  battered 
appearance.  This  man  also  said  that  as  soon  as  I 
struck  Tom  and  the  jolt  came  through  him  trying  to 
balk,  I  went  over  the  dashboard  and  was  picked  up  for 
dead.  Fortunately  it  did  not  prove  as  bad  as  that. 
A  few  days  later  I  visited  Tom's  grave  on  the  hillside 
and  clipped  a  lock  of  hair  from  his  tail.  I  had  it  made 
into  a  watch  guard,  which  I  have  worn  from  that  day 
to  this. 


THE  CONFESSION. 


On  a  cold,  rainy  night  rather  late  in  the  fall, 

When  the  wail  of  the  wind  makes  you  think  of  the 
dead, 

A  despatch  took  me  out  on  a  very  strange  call, 

'Twas  to  hear  a  confession.     This  is  what  was  said. 

"When  I'm  dead  tell  the  men  not  to  bury  me  deep ; 

Dig  my  grave  by  the  big  sandy  bluff  near  the  road, 
So  my  bones  can  forever  be  near  the  hoof  beat 

Of  the  teams  as  they  pass  up  the  hill  with  a  load. 

"And  I'll  tell  you,  but  Jack,  do  not  call  me  a  slink, 
I  am  guilty  and  stopped  your  brown  mare  at  the 
Bay; 

But,  dear  Jack,  when  I  did  it  they  gave  me  the  wink, 
And  remember,  you  bounced  me  the  very  next  day. 

"The  touts  paid  for  a  dinner  and  opened  some  wine, 
And  we  then  had  a  box  at  a  vaudeville  show ; 

The  next  day  when  I  pulled  her  they  said  it  was  fine, 
But  they  soon  cut  me  dead  and  I  saw  I  could  go. 

"You  now  know  that  I  stole,  still  you're  smoothing 
the  way 

For  a  villain  who  cheated  you.  These  are  the  facts. 
You  have  good  cause  to  leave  me  and  let  the  town  pay 

For  the  box  to  hide  me.     I'm  ashamed  of  my  acts. 

"It  almost  broke  my  heart  when  I  had  to  get  down ; 

I  was  poor  and  help's  scarce  when  you're   loaded 

with  grief; 
In  a  week  I  was  starving;  in  two  weeks  the  town 

Had  to  aid  me  because  I  was  marked  as  a  thief. 


402  THE    CONFESSION.. 

"It  may  not  look  as  well  to  be  down  on  the  ground 
When  the  tempters  called  winners  roll  by  in  a  hack, 

But  I  know  I  feel  better  when  out  for  the  round 
That  is  coming  to  me  on  eternity's  track. 

"I'd  have  jogged  out  my  race  without  ever  a  word 
As  I've  had  my  full  portion  of  trouble  and  fun, 

But  it  may  be  that  many  who  of  me  have  heard 

Will,  when  tempted,  say  No,  see  the  course  Charlie 
run. 

"That  is  all ;  now  the  starter  can  send  me  away 
On  a  trip  that  is  dark,  and  I  don't  know  the  track, 

With  a  chance  for  a  pardon  upon  the  last  day 
If  you  go  by  the  Book,  as  no  one  has  come  back. 

"I   have  broken   the   rules   and   with   you   played   the 
deuce, 

To  all  that  and  to  more  I  am  free  to  confess, 
But  I'm  dying,  dear  Jack,  and  a  limping  excuse 

Cannot  lighten  the  burden  or  make  my  sins  less. 

"That    is  all.     I  feel  strong.     Do  you  think  I'll    get 

well? 
Now  my  mind  is  at  rest.     There's  no  pain  in  my 

head. 
But,  dear  Jack,  where's  the  light?     Did  you  hear  the 

call  bell? 

Wait  for  me,  Judge,  I'll  come."      With  the  words 
his  life  fled. 


THE  END. 


And  this  is  all  I  have  to  say 

About  the  parson's  poor  old  bay, 

The  same  that  drew  the  one-horse  shay. 

— Holmes. 

The  yarn  for  this  volume  of  "Tales  of  the  Turf 
has  been  spun.  The  horses  whose  names  have  been 
woven  into  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  book  are  again 
in  their  places  on  the  shelves  for  another  run  out  with 
the  dust  and  to  "dumb  forgetfulness  a  prey."  As 
they  again  pass  into  the  shadow,  thoughts  of  those 
who  made  them  famous,  and  of  those  who  recorded 
their  performances  peep  through  the  smoke  wreathes 
of  memory  and  flutter  for  a  few  minutes  like  moats 
in  an  arrow  of  light.  They,  too,  with  few  exceptions, 
have  been  carried  to  their  little  palaces  of  clay,  the 
simple  records  of  the  facts  being  all  that  remains  for 
their  labor  and  sweat,  toil  and  trouble,  ambitious 
dreams  and  hope  of  reward.  Others  took  their  places 
and  the  world  jogged  on  without  a  ripple.  It  has 
been  so  since  Creation's  dawn,  and  shall  continue. 
All  come  and  all  go.  For  a  few  the  footing  is  good, 
sky  clear  and  everything  favorable,  while  others  find 
the  going  heavy  and  rough,  see  banks  of  clouds  on 
the  horizon  and  meet  obstacles  at  every  turn,  but 
when  the  race  is  finished  and  the  last  of  the  fates 
snips  the  thread,  the  end  is  the  same. 


404  THE    END. 

"Question  not,  but  live  and  labor 

Till  yon  goal  be  won, 
Helping  every  feeble  neighbor, 

Seeking  help  from  none; 
Life  is  mostly  froth  and  bubble, 

Two  things  stand  like  stone, — 
Kindness  in  another's  trouble, 

Courage  in  your  own." 

In  the  deepening  twilight  troops  of  shadowy 
forms  march  down  the  avenue  of  memory.  They 
bear  thoughts  of  those  we  knew.  An  old  friend  that 
was  buried  last  month  spoke  of  it,  now  we  speak  of 
him.  In  time  others  will  speak  of  you  and  I,  for,  not- 
withstanding the  knowledge  acquired  by  man  and  the 
control  which  he  has  achieved  over  the  elements,  the 
machine  wears  out  just  the  same  as  when  "Adam 
delved  and  Eve  span."  Still  the  old  world  is  not  half 
as  bad  as  many  strive  to  make  it,  and  while  like 
Tennyson's  Brook  "Men  may  come  and  men  may 
go/'  you  can  rest  assured  that  the  ponies  will  go  on 
forever. 


PLAIN     PATTERN    REGULAR    HEAD. 

Lou  Dillon,  2:09 


READVILLE,  Mass.,  Aug.  26,  1903. 
CAPEWELL  HORSE  NAIL  CO. 

Hartford,  Conn. 

Gentlemen :  -  This  is  to  certify  that  we  shod 
Lou  Dillon  with  Capewell  horse  nails  when  she 
trotted  a  mile  in  two  minutes,  the  fastest  mile  ever 
trotted  on  any  race  track,  and  we  have  shod  with 
your  nails  other  horses  of  note,  such  as  "Direct 
Hal,"  the  unbeaten  pacer  and  winner  of  thirteen 
straight  races,  securing  a  record  of  2:04X  the  first 
season  out ;  also  "The  Abbot,"  2:03^,  the  cham- 
pion trotting  gelding  of  the  world;  "Lord  Derby," 
2:05^,  and  several  others.  We  find  the  Capewell 
Horse  Nail  the  best  in  the  world;  best  to  drive,  best 
for  horses'  feet,  and  they  hold  better  than  any  other 
nail  on  the  market. 

Yours  respectfully, 

W.  B.  KOPE,    R.  E.  NASH. 


THE  CAPEWELL  HORSE  NAIL  CO., 

HARTFORD,   CONN. 


New  York 

Boston 
Cincinnati 
Baltimore 


.  BRANCHES  . 
Philadelphia          Chicago         St.  Louis 


Detroit 
New  Orleans 
Portland 


Denver 

San  Francisco 

Buffalo 


PLAIN    PATTERN    CITY   HEAD. 


For  Sale. 


Scotch  Deerhounds 


BY 


CHAMPION   SIRES 


OUT    OF 


PRIZE   WINNING   DAMS. 


HILLSIDE  KENNELS, 

Lancaster,  -  Mass. 


ALFRED  HEALD, 

K^ennelmun. 


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PUBLISHED  BY 

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161  HIGH  STREET, 
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TALES    OF  THE   TURF 


By  WM.  B.  FASIG. 


Twenty-Seven  Stories  with  Memoir. 

EACH  SHOW  THE  SPIRIT  OF  A  MASTER  HAND,  A  GLINT  OF  WIT,  AND  "THAT  TOUCH 
OF  NATURE  WHICH  MAKES  THE  WHOLE  WORLD  KIN." 


THE  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  INCLUDE 


TROTTING  TRACES.—  How  to  build, 
take  care  of  and  manage  them,  with 
plates  showing  how  to  lay  out  a 
half-mile,  a  mile  and  a  kite-shaped 
track. 

THE  SANDPIPER.  -How  the  Dutch- 
man did  not  balance  his  bill  for 
gravel  while  the  little  man  in  brown 
stood  pat,  and  won. 

McDOEL.—Ho-w  the  the  best  green 
horse  in  Missouri  broke  into  turf 
history. 

ANDY  AND  /.—What  the  well-known 
pair  learned  in  France  and  England. 

GOOD  LUCK.— The  magical  words 
which  make  many  a  man's  little 
"world  hum. 

AMERICAN  TROTTING  HORSE.— 

The  idol  before  which  we  all  salaam. 


THE  SECRETARY.— His  trials  and 
tribulations  in  the  merry  days  of 
racing. 

A  STRANGE  LAND.—  How  a  ship- 
wrecked Buckeye  showed  his  ingenu- 
ity in  another  racing  world. 

STRANGER.—  A  lightning  going 
pacer  of  Northern  Ohio,  whose  his- 
tory has  a  pinch  of  romance  hooked 
onto  it. 

IN  BRETHARTE'S  COUNTRY.-How 

Fasig  identified  Starbottle  and  the 
Kentucky  Colonel. 

MUSKET.— The  unluckiest  horse  that 
ever  breathed.  Don't  run.  He  is  dead. 

RIDE    OF   A    LIFE    TIME.—     How 

Flying  Jib  put  a  crimp  in  the  boss 
trotter  on  the  speed  drive  in  Wade 
Park. 


Their  are  Others. 

To  this  is  added  a  MEMOIR  in  which  is  presented  a  sketch  of  William  B. 
Fasig's  career  on  the  turf  and  in  the  sale  business,  an  outline  history  of  the 
Cleveland  track,  and  how  the  Quadrilateral  Trotting  Combination,  which 
grew  into  the  Grand  Circuit,  originated. 


A  Few  Press  Comments 


The  Tales  of  the  Turf  are  full  of 
quaint  humor  and  interesting  anec- 
dotes. — Kentucky  Stock  Farm. 

When  you  open  the  volume,  you 
\vill  not  close  it  until  you  reach  the 
end.  —Turf,  Field  &  Farm. 

The  statistical  value  of  the  book  is 
much  greater  than  its  selling  price. 
— The  Horseman. 

In  our  judgment  it  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  books  to  a  trotting 
horseman  ever  published. 

— The  Horse  Review. 


Of  all  the  books  that  have  been  pub- 
lished regarding  the  trotting  horse 
business,  there  is  certainly  none  that 
contains  such  a  varied  and  valuable 
amount  of  information. 

— American  Horse  Breeder. 

Every  man  who  has  a  particle  of 
love  for  harness  racing,  will  find  a  deal 
of  pleasure  in  reading  "Fasig's  Tales 
of  the  Turf. ' '  —Horse  World. 

It  is  admirable  in  style  and  the 
reminiscences  are  couched  in  such 
beautiful  diction  as  to  make  them  ex- 
ceedingly entertaining. 

—Rider  &  Driver. 


"FASIG'S  TALES  OF  THE  TURF"  is  a  three  hundred  and 
fourteen  page  book,  bound  in  cloth.     Price  $2.00,  all  charges  prepaid* 
Address  orders  to 

W.  H.  GOCHER, 

Hartford,    Cor\n. ,  U.  S.  A. 


"RECEIVED 
FEB  08 

1RCULATION  DEPT. 

JAN  1.6  1992 


CIRCULATE 


RECEIVED  BY 

JAN -1992 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


